Hostage
by prettylittlespoby13
Summary: Spencer is a single-mother trying to take care of her four-year-old daughter. Spencer and her daughter are at a bank when three robbers run in. Toby is single trying to make a living as a cop. He gets called on to the scene of a robbery. What will Toby do in order save a poor, young woman and her daughter?
1. Chapter 1

**Spencer is a single-mother trying to take care of her four-year-old daughter, Lucy. While walking around during a nice Saturday morning. Spencer and her daughter are at a bank when three robbers run in. Toby is single trying to make a living as a cop. He gets called on to the scene of a robbery. What will he do to save a poor, young woman and her daughter in the middle of a dangerous situation?**

 **Two-shot or a story? You decide.**

* * *

With steady hands, Spencer fastened her black belt around her waist and smoothed her hands down the wrinkles on her tan belted dress. Flipping her long, brown curls around trying to get her hair to look just right. Her heels clicked on the hardwood floor of her bedroom as she walked over to her dresser mirror. She grabbed her favorite shade of lipstick called, 'cherry heart,' and applied it to her perfectly curved lips. After applying the stuff, she popped her lips together twice. She uses her thumb and index finger to tug the collar of her dress and squirts a little bit of perfume on her neck. The aroma of French Vanilla invaded her nostrils as she took in a deep breath. Setting down the perfume bottle gently, she fixes any imperfection in her appearance based off what she's seeing in the mirror. Once satisfied, Spencer shuffles over to her bedside table and picks her phone off the charger before tossing it into her black shoulder handbag.

"Lucy!"

Spencer's young, raspy voice called out from her bedroom and echoed down the hallway. Not long after calling, loud, tiny footsteps came stomping down the hall and into her bedroom. Standing in the doorway stood a young girl who stands at three feet and four inches, has soft, curly brown hair, and chocolate brown eyes. The little girl has facial features like the older woman standing just a few feet away from her.

"Yes, mommy."

Her voice is even raspy like her mother's. Spencer smiled while trying to put the last earring through the hole in her left earlobe. She always smiles when she first hears her daughter's voice in the morning. It's her favorite sound to hear.

"You ready to go?"

The little girl nodded, her short, brown ponytail bounced up and down behind her. Spencer finally turned around to face her daughter and smiled. Lucy stood there tugging on the ends of her blue dress. Her short legs are clawed in a pair of white stockings and end at her feet, which are wearing black dress shoes. Spencer walked over to stand in front of her daughter.

"You look very nice today, Lu."

The little girl smiled, "thanks, mommy. What are we doing today?"

"Well, since mommy doesn't have to work today, I figure you and I could spend the whole day together. Would you like that?"

"Oh, yes, mommy!" Her head bobbed up and down.

"Good," Spencer smiled. "First, we just need to stop by the bank so I can get some cash out then, we can go to your favorite restaurant for lunch. Later, I'll let you play nicely in the park with your friends. And, if you be a really good girl today, we can get some ice cream!"

"Ice cream!" The little girl squealed. "I love ice cream!"

"Good," Spencer lowered her voice to a whisper and said, "but if you want to get ice cream, you have to be a good girl today. Will you be a good girl for mommy?"

Lucy nodded, "I'll be a very good girl."

"Good, now, give mommy a hug."

Spencer spread out her arms and allowed her daughter to lean into her. Her small arms wrapped around Spencer's neck and held on tight. For the last four years, Spencer has been raising her daughter, Lucy all alone. When she was twenty, she got pregnant with some guy she barely knew. She knew the guy for a couple months before they slept together. Spencer knew right away that sleeping with the guy was a mistake, but after Lucy was born. She doesn't look at it as a mistake. Just the guy she slept with. Lucy's father bailed on them a week after she was born, so it's been just them. Today, Lucy is four years and two months.

It was hard at first for Spencer to raise a child, but she wasn't completely alone. A few of her friends helped her out whenever she needed it. Two of her other friends have children of their own. Like her friend Aria, she has a daughter named Layla, who's two years and five months old. Another one of her friends, Hanna, has a son named Matthew. He's three years and seven months old. Her other friend, Emily does not have any kids right now, but she has looked at adopting. Spencer's known Hanna and Aria for a few years now. The three of them met in a parenting class that they took together. Spencer's known Emily since high school. After Spencer introduced Emily to the friends she made in a parenting class, the four of them have grown rather close. They act as if they've all known each other since they were in diapers.

Spencer's silver Honda pulled up into one of the parking spaces at the bank and came to an easy stop. She made sure the car was in park before getting out and going to help Lucy out of her car seat. Lucy held onto her mother's hand as the two made their way into the tall building. Not many people are at the bank today. Just a few customers and two people working the desk. Spencer stepped in line waiting for her turn. While waiting, she dug around in her purse for her wallet. Meanwhile, Lucy looked around at all the bright lights shining above her head. Everybody seemed completely occupied with their own business.

Just then, the door to the bank flew open and two people wearing masks holding guns ran into the building. Another person came in shouting orders at everyone to get on the ground. A few people screamed and ducked down for cover. Spencer tugged on Lucy's arm and pulled her down on the ground with her, holding on to her for dear life. She heard the three people shouting orders at the employees, but she was way too concerned about keeping her daughter safe to really listen to what's really going on.

* * *

Across town in a semi empty police department, Toby sat bored at his desk scrolling through his files on the computer. He sat still using his fist to keep his head up. Not much has happened today. Not much has happened this week. He's done nothing these last seven days other than filling out paperwork for his boss. Toby started out as a cop in Harrisburg, but got reassigned to a town nearby called 'Rosewood.' They claimed that Rosewood needed more helping to keep the area safe. He's been working at this station for two weeks now and not much has happened. Earlier last week, he reunited a dog with his family and found a stolen bike that belonged to an eight-year-old kid. Other than that, not much has had to be done here.

"Cavanaugh," his good friend and partner, Lorenzo knocked on the outside of his door.

"What?"

"We're on the move. There was a bank robbery just a few blocks away from here. Let's go."

"Really!" He shot up in his seat excitedly.

Lorenzo cocked his head gesturing for him to grab his gear and hurry up. He's excited to be finally working on a big case. This is great! Well, it's not great that a bank is being robbed and people are in danger, but he finally get's to do something instead of sitting at his desk all day doing paperwork. The police raised down the streets of Rosewood and rushed into the parking lot of Rosewood Town Bank. Toby along with the other officers hurried to move out of the car in order to stop the criminals from succeeding in their crimes.

"Wait a minute," Luntenet Tanner put her hand up to stop them from all charging in at once. "They've got hostages in there, so we have to do this carefully. Ricks, Brocks, and Riley, you three set up a headquarters out here in case we have to communicate with the robbers that are inside. Calderon, Scott, and Cavanaugh, I want you to get in there!"

The three officers took out their guns and ran up to the front door. Officer Calderon leaned against the doorway and waited to give the signal to go in. Toby stood with his gun ready in hand.

"Are we going in yet or not?" Officer James Scott asked.

"Not yet," Lorenzo said. "I'm trying to get a good look to see how many people are in there."

"We should go in already!" Toby hissed.

"No!" Lorenzo shouted. "We don't know how many hostages are in there, where they are, and if they're in the line of fire. Cavanaugh, you have the best view of what's going on inside. Look in and tell us what you see."

Toby carefully poked his head around the edge and looked through the plate glass window. Right now, all that's in view is two men holding guns. There's an a middle aged man standing behind the counter shaking while the third guy demands money. Over on the left side of the room, he can see middle aged women crouching down behind a table praying not to get shot. There's also a man sitting with his back against the wall and his knees against his chest. Toby looked to the other side of the room and practically gasped at the young women who can't be any older than twenty-five. She's sitting on the ground clinging on to her daughter as they wait for help to come. A rush of panic came over him.

"There's about four hostages in there. One of them is a young mother with a daughter. They've got a kid in there!" Toby shouted to the other officers.

"Dammit," James hissed.

"We have to get in there now," Toby said.

"We can't. What if they shot somebody?" Lorenzo said.

"They might shoot somebody if we don't go in there," Toby said.

"Cavanaugh don't you dare!" Lorenzo warned.

Toby held up his gun and ignored him. On the count of three, Toby rushed in there and fired a few shots. When Lorenzo heard them shooting back, he and Scott ran in and started shooting. Out of the corner of Toby's eye, he could see the young girl tuck her daughter under her body and duck down even closer to the floor. All he could seem to think about during this situation is getting those two out of here alive. He doesn't even know them and he feels a certain duty towards them. Toby shot one of the robbers and watched them tumble to the ground. Lorenzo put two bullets in the second guy and he fell. The third guy shot a bullet right into Scott's left arm. He yelled out and tried to continue shooting while clutching the wound in his shoulder.

While all of this shooting was going on, Spencer held her daughter close and whispered comforting words to her all while keeping her eyes shut. Lucy started whining underneath her mother's grip at the loud sounds going off around her. She has known idea what is going on and why everybody is being so loud. When she tried asking questions, her mother shushed her. Without any warning, Spencer felt a firm hand wrap around her upper arm prying her away from her daughter's hold. The third robber, held Spencer's back against his chest, took out a gun, and pressed it right up to the side of her head. Lucy screamed and cried out for her mommy.

"Watch it!" The guy yelled at the cops who stopped firing.

"If you shoot one more shot, I'll put a bullet through her brain!" the guy threatened.

A look of horror washed over Toby's face when one of the robbers yanked the mother away from her daughter. It truly broke his heart to listen to that little girl crying for her mommy. He panicked when the guy turned the girl's body so his back is to him and her face is turned towards the cops. He took out his gun and held it right up against the woman's head.

"Let her go right now!" Toby demanded whiling still aiming his gun towards him. There was no way of him getting a shot to the guy without putting that girl at risk.

"Put down the gun," Lorenzo ordered.

"You people put your weapons down and get out of here!" The man yelled. "If you don't do what I say, I swear to god, I will blow her brain out!"

The woman tried hard not to whimper, but Toby noticed how her brown eyes filled with tears. There's no way he's letting that woman die. Not when she has a daughter to take care of. Even if she didn't have a kid. He is not letting that woman die. None of these hostages are going to die. Not on his watch.

"I'm going to say this one more time," Toby shouted. "Put your gun down and let the girl go!"

The guys lips turned up into a tight smirk. He shook his head and said, "not until I get the money I want, a car, and you people out of my sight!"

"You're not getting out of this alive, sir!" Lorenzo said.

He smiled, "well, then, I guess she's not getting out of here alive either."

The man clicked his gun getting ready to shoot.

"Wait!" Toby yelled. The man paused. "Don't shot her," he said slowly putting his gun down to the side. "Don't shot her. Shot me instead."

"What?" Lorenzo whispered to him.

"Are you serious?" The robber asked.

"Yes," Toby nodded seriously. "If you're going to kill somebody, kill me."

"Drop your weapon," the man ordered. "All of you drop your weapons or this girl dies."

Toby looked at the man while he slowly kneeled down to set his gun on the floor. He held his hands up in surrender and rose back up on his feet.

"Toby!" Lorenzo hissed. "What are you doing? Pick up your gun!"

"Just put your gun down so he doesn't kill that girl," Toby whispered.

"He's going to shot both of us, that girl, and everyone in this room if we do!"

"I'm going with my gut instinct and right now it's telling me to do whatever it takes to save that woman's life. Now, put down your gun!" Toby hissed.

"Better listen to him," the older man said stilling holding the gun to the woman's head.

Lorenzo looked at Toby and sighed. Then, he slowly set his gun on the floor and stood back up with his hands above his head.

"Wow," the man chuckled. "Fools."

The young women cried out when he released her. She fell to her knees making a loud thud and quickly backed away from him. Then the guy aimed the gun right at Toby's chest ready to fire. A loud gunshot rang out and everyone in the room screamed. Six people screamed, two shots were fired, and one person fell to their death.

* * *

 **What's going to happen!**

 **This was originally just going to be a one-shot, but I'll let you all decide. Should I make this a short story? If so, I'm going to need a decent amount of reviews telling me so.**

 **In the meantime, check out some of my other stories I'm currently working on.**

 **Better Than Revenge: A story about Spencer and Toby becoming the A-team.**

 **You'll Always Be & Beautiful: A story set around the time of the time jump. Filled with mystery, secrets, romance, twist, and turns. **


	2. Chapter 2

***Previously on Hostage***

"Wait!" Toby yelled. The man paused. "Don't shot her," he said slowly putting his gun down to the side. "Don't shot her. Shot me instead."

"What?" Lorenzo whispered to him.

"Drop your weapon," the man ordered. "All of you drop your weapons or this girl dies."

Toby looked at the man while he slowly kneeled down to set his gun on the floor. He held his hands up in surrender and rose back up on his feet.

"Toby!" Lorenzo hissed. "What are you doing? Pick up your gun!"

"Just put your gun down so he doesn't kill that girl," Toby whispered.

"He's going to shot both of us, that girl, and everyone in this room if we do!"

"I'm going with my gut instinct and right now it's telling me to do whatever it takes to save that woman's life. Now, put down your gun!" Toby hissed.

"Better listen to him," the older man said stilling holding the gun to the woman's head.

Lorenzo looked at Toby and sighed. Then, he slowly set his gun on the floor and stood back up with his hands above his head.

"Wow," the man chuckled. "Fools."

* * *

Toby squeezed his eyes shut while waiting for the bullet to pierce his admin. He waited for a shot that never came. What's going on? He heard the roar of the gunshot. A couple of shots were fired. He figured one shot was for Lorenzo and the other would hit him, but it never came. There's no bullet lodged in his gut. The doors to the bank flew open as a swarm of new agents came in. Toby finally opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the sight of the robber lying dead on his back with two bullet holes in his chest. Wait, what? He's the one who got shot? Somebody shot him, but who? At the time, the gun went off, both Toby and Lorenzo had already disarmed themselves. Nobody else in the room had a gun besides the robber.

"Cavanaugh it's okay," Lorenzo touched his shoulder.

"W-wait, but w-who shot…"

Lorenzo pointed to a guy wearing a nice suit jacket. He was standing out from behind the counter holding a small handgun with trembling hands. It's pretty clear why that man's all shaken up. It was the taller. He shot the unsub. Toby looked around the room and saw the other cops taking care of the hostages. When he turned around, his heart soared. The woman the unsub grabbed hold of and threatened to shoot is now down on her knees holding on to her daughter for dear life. The sight of that warmed his heart. He's glad to see they're both okay. The woman gazed over her daughter's shoulder and scanned the room. When her eyes landed on him, he swore he felt his heart fly out of his chest.

After the unsub was shot, Spencer crawled over to Lucy and enveloped her in a tight hug. The little girl threw her arms around her mother's shoulders and cried into her hair. Spencer tried calming her down by whispering things. While she held on to Lucy, Spencer opened her eyes and caught the eye of the officer who saved her life. He looked back at her and nodded. A feeling of pure gratitude washed over her. She held on to her daughter tighter and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Ma'am," an officer grazed her shoulder. She looked up. "If you're okay to move, we'd like to get you and your daughter out to the ambulance to get you both checked out."

Spencer nodded and rose to her feet. "Come on, sweetie," she whispered to her daughter before picking her up and carrying her out.

Flashing lights of ambulances and many police cars nearly blinded her when she first stepped out. Followed by the intense sunlight shining right in her face. She and her daughter were escorted to the back of an ambulance to get a quick check up from the paramedic. Everything seems to be in order. Lucy's a little shaken up and keeps trying to wiggle away from anyone who wants to touch her. Spencer tried telling her these people don't want to hurt her and that she'll be okay. After what just happened in there, Lucy's not ready to be near anybody who's not her mother.

The paramedic finally gave up on her and moved on to the next patient. Before they can leave, an officer is supposed to come over here and collect a statement from her. They also want to make sure she feels okay to drive or if she wants somebody to give her a ride home.

After checking in with Tanner, Toby walked out of the bank and searched the parking lot for that woman. Did they let her go already? He finally spotted her sitting on the back of an ambulance getting check out by one of the medics. He watched the medic ask her a few questions. The girl nodded and the medic walked away. Now that there's no one around her, now would be the time for him to go over there. Before the victims can go on their way, an officer is supposed to talk to them. Tanner didn't assign him to do so, but he wants to be the one to do it. This is the woman he almost gave his life for, so yes, he wants to at least know her name before they part ways.

His dark shoes shuffled against the pavement as he slowly made his way over to her. She turned her head in his direction at the last minute. Her deep, beautiful brown eyes looked right at him and he swore he's never looked at anything more beautiful. She praised her lips together in a thin line and sat up straight once she saw the office making his way towards him. If Toby's not mistaken, he's pretty sure the woman moved her hands to try and fix her hair a little. As if she really needs to try and make herself look more attractive.

"Hi," he greeted in a soft tone of voice stopping just a foot away from her. "You alright?"

"Uh, yes," she nodded. "I'm good."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that."

"I was worried that I wouldn't get the chance to thank you." He looked at her. "What you did in there was very brave. It was also very stupid. Just so you know."

"Aw, being brave is stupid, but most times it's worth it."

"Yeah, I guess so. I just never really imagined anyone ever putting themselves in danger for me before."

"Saving lives is part of my job."

"Oh, maybe I shouldn't feel flattered by what you did," she said teasingly.

"No, you can be. It may be part of the job sometimes, but that wasn't part of the plan today. I put myself and my team in danger for a woman who's name that I don't even know. But it was worth it. That little girl needs her mother around and I wasn't about to let that guy take it away."

"I'm sure Lucy will appreciate that very much," her voice took on a teasing tone. "That is until she's sixteen and I'm there to tell her no to do some stupid stunt she wants to be a part of."

"I'm sure she will always appreciate having you around."

"Yeah, well, it's just if Lucy loses me, she wouldn't really have anybody else to look after her. I'm all she has. You didn't just save my life, but you saved hers as well."

"I know that," he nodded. "It's doing things like this that make my job worth wild."

"Even though you could've been shot dead today."

"Yeah well, between you and me," he leaned into whisper in her ear. "I have a bulletproof vest on."

Her lips curved into a half smile, "you little cheater."

"Mommy can we go yet?" the little girl sitting beside her whined.

"Just a minute sweetie," Spencer said while brushing strands of her daughter's light brown hair out of her eyes. "I still have to answer a few questions. Just have to be a little patient here."

"There aren't any questions," Toby said. "You guys are good to go."

Spencer looked back at him, "are you sure? That medic told me I had to answer some questions before going home."

"All you had to answer was if you're alright or not. You and your daughter seem to be getting along fine, so you don't have to stay."

"Okay."

When that guy threw her down on the ground, she hit her knee pretty hard and now it hurts. When Spencer stood almost, she found it hard to steady herself. Toby reached out and held on to her upper arm to help her stand. When Lucy saw someone touching her mother, she snapped.

"No," the little girl made a pouty face.

"Luc it's okay," Spencer cooed.

"You better not hurt her mister," Lucy tried her best to look tough. "If you do, I'll send you to the time out chair.

Toby smiled at the little girl, "you'll send me to the time out chair?"

The little girl nodded, "that's what mommy threatens to do if I ever hurt somebody."

He chuckled, "well, I can assure you I won't hurt your mother."

"It's okay, Lucy," Spencer said. "Officer Cavanaugh is a good guy. He won't hurt us. You remember I told you officers are here to protect us?"

The little girl nodded and swung her little legs back and forth. Toby went on helping Spencer stand up and even held on to her until she was sure she could stand on her own. She nodded at him to let him know she's okay. Then, she turns to Lucy and picks her up holding her against her hip.

"Well, thank you," she said to him while brushing her the hair out of her face. "For what you did today."

"It was my pleasure, ma'am."

"Spencer," she corrected him.

"Spencer," he smiled and shook her hand. "It was a pleasure."

She smiled back," I better get this little one home. It's passed her naptime and she can get a little cranky without one."

"Mommy, I don't need a nap," the little girl said in the middle of a yawn.

"Oh, I think you do."

"Spencer," Toby called after her.

She turned around with her daughter in hand, "yeah?"

"Um, maybe I should escort you home. You know if you're still a little shaken up from what happened. I want to make sure you're okay. If you don't want me too, you can just go."

"No," she said. "In fact, I think I would feel safer if somebody followed me home. That robber clearly wasn't working alone. The police may have been able to arrest the other two guys, but there could be more of them out there parked along the streets."

He nodded, "okay. I'll only take a minute grabbing my bag."

As Spencer drove home, she would glance into her mirror and see Toby's police car behind her. She smiled and turned her eyes back on the road. Lucy sat back in her car seat drifting off into a deep slumber. She's had a big day today. Not the big day she was hoping for. Spencer turned into her driveway and shut off her engine. Toby pulled up behind her and got out. Spencer got out of her car and moved to get her daughter out of the backseat without waking her. Toby stood back admiring the way she is with her daughter. The way Lucy's head casually leans into Spencer's shoulder and her tiny arms wrap around her mother's neck.

He follows her up to door number 13 and waits for her to unlock the door. A second later, Spencer pushed open the door to her apartment and lead the way inside. As you walk into her apartment, you would see her kitchen counter. Taking a few steps in, you would see the family room where there's a two person white couch, a couple chairs, and a light brown coffee table. The television is right up against the wall facing the couch. There's a short hallway by the end of the kitchen counter that leads to the bedrooms. As you walk down the hallway, the first door on the right is Lucy's room. There's another door a few feet down to the left that is a closet. At the end of the hall is Spencer's room. Back in the family room, there's a door behind the tan chair that leads to the bathroom.

"Would you like a cup of tea or something?" She asked.

"Tea sounds great."

"Okay," she whispered and gestured to the little girl in her arms. "Would you mind holding her for a minute while I put the hot water on?"

"Uh, sure."

She carefully passes her daughter over to him. He reached out for her being extra careful not to wake her. Spencer handed her off to him then walked into the kitchen. It was strange how Lucy seemed to melt into him when he held her. She quickly adjusted her head against his shoulder and went right back to sleep. Something about holding Lucy in his arms felt comforting.

"Okay."

Spencer came back into the room with her arms out ready to take Lucy back. Part of him wasn't quite ready to let her go, but he passed her back anyway. Seeing the way Spencer is with her daughter makes him realize how much he wants that. He wants a family of his own. With a nice wife and a couple kids to come home to. He wants that. Spencer disappeared down the hall to put Lucy down for her nap. She came back not even a minute later.

"So," Spencer started while walking back into the kitchen. "How do you take your tea? Do you take it with sugar?"

"Yes," he stood behind the counter and praised his palms against it.

The tea kettle began to shout out. Spencer turned off the burner and poured water into two cups. She asked how many teaspoons of sugar he likes and he told her. After stirring in the sugar, she carries the two cups over to the counter and passes one over to him.

"The teas really good," he said after taking a few sips.

"Thank you," she said taking a few sips herself.

"So," she pushed her cup to the side. "How long have to been an officer?"

"Uh for about a year. I'm still a newbie. I started out in Harrisburg and got resigned here two weeks ago."

"That would explain why I haven't seen you around town before."

"Well, it might be hard to recognize me without the uniform on."

"Oh," she laughed. "With those blue eyes, I think I would remember you."

He smiled and opened his mouth to talk. The sound of his damn speaker interrupted them. It's Lorenzo calling him saying that Tanner wants him back at the station. She wants to have a word with him about what happened today. He knows that she's not pleased about the way he handles the hostage situation. Spencer set down her tea cup.

"Guess you gotta go."

"Yeah," he sighed. "My boss is going to have my ass for what I did today."

"If she has a problem with trying to save someone's life then you're way too good for the Rosewood P.D."

"Thank you for the tea."

"Thanks for coming home with me," she paused when she realised how that sounded. "Oh, I mean thank you for looking out for me."

He chuckled, "no problem. Today could've been worse, but I'm glad I got the chance to meet you. Could've been under different circumstances, but."

"Yeah," she smiled. "I'm glad I met you too."

"Hopefully this won't be the last time we see each other. Maybe we could get coffee sometime?"

"Well, your offer sounds very tempting and I do love drinking coffee, but I'll have to check with Lucy on that."

He laughed, "right. Better check it out with her. Well, when Lucy makes up her mind," he pulled out a card with his number on it. "Let me know."

Spencer smiled and bit her lip while accepting his card. Before he left, Toby walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. After what he did today, he deserves a little gratitude. A kiss on the cheek is the least she could do. Toby sent her one last smile before walking out and pulling the door shut behind him. That is one cop she will definitely be keeping her eye on. Ever since he walked up to her by the ambulance, she hasn't been able to stop smiling. She should still be freaking out over what happened earlier today, but she's not. Meeting him made all that fear go away. Any man that can make her worries goes away is the kind of man she wants to have around. She walks into the kitchen and starts making dinner for her and Lucy. The smile never completely leaving her face.

* * *

 **Hope you guys liked the second chapter. I got a few nice reviews on the first chapter. If this chapter gets a few nice ones, I'll be sure to keep this story going. My readers are usually good with reviewing. Share your thoughts and I'll see about updating.**


	3. Chapter 3

***Previously on Hostage***

"Hopefully this won't be the last time we see each other. Maybe we could get coffee sometime?"

"Well, your offer sounds very tempting and I do love drinking coffee, but I'll have to check with Lucy on that."

He laughed, "right. Better check it out with her. Well, when Lucy makes up her mind," he pulled out a card with his number on it. "Let me know."

* * *

The bank robbery that occurred just a few days ago left the whole town shaken up. After it happened, Spencer started doing more to keep herself and her daughter safe. Just because the police managed to capture the three guys who put their lives in danger, doesn't mean all the bad people in town are gone. This town is full of monsters. There are monsters everywhere. Spencer will be working a lot harder to keep Lucy out of harm's way.

On a bright and early Monday morning, Spencer was awakened by a small bouncing bean jumping on her. She groaned a little and turned over to lie on her back. Lucy climbed over Spencer and sat on her with a goofy grin on her face.

"Wake up, mommy." Lucy bounced up and down.

"Luc," Spencer groaned.

"Come on mom. We're supposed to meet aunt Emily, aunt Aria, and aunt Hanna today."

She sighed and finally opened her eyes. Lucy sat up on top of her wearing her blue Frozen pajamas. Her light brown hair looked like a curly mess, but she still looks cute. Her little, oval shaped eyes gleamed in excitement. Spencer reached out her hand to brush the curls out of her daughter's face.

"Tell you what, why don't you pick out an outfit for today while I get started on breakfast."

"Can you make Olaf pancakes?" The little girl asked.

Spencer smiled and tickled her little tummy, "yes, I'll make my little princess her favorite Olaf pancakes."

"Mommy," Lucy giggled trying to stop Spencer from tickling her stomach.

"Okay," she finally stopped. "Go on and I'll be in soon to help you get dressed."

"Okay!"

Lucy skipped off the bed and ran out of the room down the hall. Spencer tossed the blankets to the side and got out of bed. She grabbed her robe out of the closet and put it over her silky nightgown. When she walked into Lucy's room, she found her daughter struggling to put on her little pink dress. Spencer chuckled to herself then came over to help her. She pulled the dress down over Lucy's head and smoothed it out for her. Then, she grabbed a pair of white stockings and pulled them up her legs to under her knee caps. Lucy picked out her favorite pair of black dress up shoes and managed to buckle them on her feet all by herself. Spencer took Lucy's hair brush and combed it through thin, curls. It took less than a minute to get her hair looking nice and wavy.

After she finished helping Lucy get dressed, she went back into her own room to get dressed while Lucy watched her favorite cartoons. Fifteen minutes later, Spencer came out dressed in a black high waisted pencil skirt tucked into a white blouse. Her brown hair falls down around her shoulders in thin curls. She walked out into the kitchen and got busy making breakfast while Lucy sat on the couch watching Dora.

"Hey, Luc," Spencer called out. "Your Olaf pancakes are done."

Lucy turned off the television and came into the kitchen. Spencer set down a plate of pancakes and a bottle of syrup. She helped Lucy cut up her pancakes and poured syrup over them. They both sat down eating their pancakes. Lucy went on about how excited she is to visit her aunts. When they finished breakfast, Spencer helped Lucy brush her teeth then walked out to their car to get on with their day.

At a small spark in the center of town, a bunch of kids laughed and screamed out in joy while playing around on the playground. New mothers walked up down the sidewalks pushing their little ones in strollers with their loving husbands walking close behind. Emily and Hanna sat down on a park bench under an oak tree watching kids play. Hanna's son, Matthew is playing in the sandbox just a couple feet away from them.

"Has Matthew started at daycare yet?" Emily asked.

"Yeah. He goes in the afternoon while I'm at work then Caleb picks him up at 3."

"It must be nice to have a little one running around your house. I wouldn't mind having a young one of my own," Emily mused.

"I thought you were looking at a kid to adopt."

"I was, but my girlfriend, Alison she's a little hesitant. If only I could get her fully on board with this."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, having a kid is a lot of work. It's good that you're taking your time thinking about it."

Just then, Spencer showed up with Lucy holding on tightly to her hand. Lucy kept skipping down the sidewalk as the two made their way over to them. Emily and Hanna smiled at them and waved.

"Hey, there's our girl," Emily smiled.

"Aunt Em," Lucy ran up to hug her.

"Hey, there squirt," Emily said while giving the little girl a hug. "How's it going?"

"It's going well."

Spencer finally caught up with them. Hanna looked at Spencer and smiled.

"What's the matter, Spence? Can't keep up with this one."

Spencer laughed and shook her head, "she's a ball of energy. I'm starting to think Lucy's been sneaking caffeine when mommy's not looking."

Lucy's hair shook wildly when she shook her head, "no way, mommy. I don't drink coffee like you do."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Spencer teased while running her fingers through her brown hair.

"Mommy, can I got play on the slide?"

"Sure, sweetie. Just be careful and play nice with the other kids."

"Hey, Luc," Hanna spoke up. "Why don't you take Matthew with you? Show off your boyfriend to all the other kids."

Lucy made a face, "ew gross. Matthew's not my boyfriend!'

"He's not!?" Hanna faked surprised.

Lucy tugged on Matthew's hand and the two ran off to play together. Spencer and Hanna laughed at the two of them. Spencer took a seat at the end of the bench next to Hanna. They took a look around at all the kids playing.

"Hey, where's Aria?" Spencer asked.

"Oh, she canceled," Emily said. "Layla Isn't feeling well."

"Aw, poor thing."

"Yeah, but Aria says it's nothing to worry about. It's just a runny nose. The doctor said she should be fine in about twenty-four hours or so."

"Good," Spencer said. "It always breaks my heart when one of the kids gets sick."

"What time does Lucy go to daycare?" Hanna asked.

"Um," Spencer checked her watch. "At noon. I have to be at the library by twelve thirty."

"Hey, how are you both doing?" Emily asked. "After that bank robber you were in."

"We're doing fine. The other night Lucy had a bad dream about it, but she's getting past it."

"Okay, and how are you after that horrible situation?"

"I'm okay. Like I say to anyone that's asked in the last few days. I'm okay. We're both fine."

"I'd be pretty shaken up if that were me," Hanna said. "And being there with my kid. It's scary."

"It was scary," Spencer nodded. "But Lucy and I got out of it with no harm done. Thanks to the police."

* * *

Across the street in a one bedroom house, Officer Cavanaugh sat at his table reading the newspaper while drinking his cup of coffee. There's a blue plate sitting on the table with a half-eaten piece of toast and the crumbs of the eggs he made for breakfast. All that seems to be going on in the news this week is the story about how a brave officer offered his life in exchange for a young mother. He thought it was strange that everyone's making a big deal about him risking his life for that woman. It's something any common police officer should do. Isn't that why there are officers around? To keep the citizens safe. He was just simply doing his job.

A lot of officers at work have a better respect for him now, after what he did. There a few officers who called what he did stupid and unprofessional. They feel he let his feelings get in the way of doing his job the right way. Other's say that he just did it for the glory. If they really believe he's in this for the glory then, they don't know him at all. " _If your boss is mad at you for saving someone's life then, you're too good for them."_ It was her words that made him realize he did the right thing. Who cares if some officers at work hate him for what he did? He saved someone's life and that's one thing he will never apologize for.

Toby finished his coffee and scooted back in his chair. He gets up, walks over to the sink, and rinses out his cup. A golden, fluffy tail came wagging its way into the kitchen and nearly knocked Toby off his feet when he ran into him. His golden retriever, Sampson, sat by his feet with his tail wagging back and forth behind him. His pink tongue stuck out from the corner of his mouth.

"Hey there, Sam," he reached down to rub him behind the ears. "How are you doing, bud?"

Sampson extends his tongue trying to lick Toby on the right side of his face. He chuckles and moves back before Sam has a chance to.

"Settle down, Sam. You want to go for a walk in the park?"

Sampson let out a small bark. Toby rose back up and walked over to the coat rack to get his lease. He hooks Sampson up then exits his home. The warm air hit his face like a nice kiss on the cheek. They made their way down the sidewalk, crossed the crosswalk, and made their way over to the town park. He came upon a group of women sitting on one of the many park benches. Two brunettes and a blonde. As he got closer, he began to recognize one of the brunettes. Could it be? Yes, it is her.

"Stay cool." He thought as he got closer. How should he approach her? Does he approach her at all? She's with her friends, so maybe he shouldn't bother her. Crap, he's getting closer. Okay, Toby just be cool. Just send her a nice wave and smile. Toby walks past the bench she's sitting on and smiles politely. He waits for her to acknowledge him before doing anything else. She finally looks up and spots him walking by. His smile widens as he passes by, but not too creepy like. He waves at her and she smiles back shyly. Sampson tugs forward a little making sure to keep Toby moving right along. He walks past her bench with the picture of her beautiful smile in his brain.

In the middle of a conversation with the girls, Spencer looks up and catches herself staring at a familiar looking man walking by with a dog. She had to take a double look to make sure it was actually him. It was. There he is being tugged along by his golden retriever. He smiles and waves in her direction. What should she do? Should she say something or wave back? Her friends are right there. They might tease her about it. She settles on sending him a shy smile. He continues to smile at her while passing by. Not even a second later, she caught the hand of her blonde friend waving back and forth in front of her face.

"Hello, earth to Spencer," Hanna said while Emily laughed.

"What?" She snaps out of it.

Hanna smirked, "did Spencer Hastings just catch something cute walk by?"

"What? No, I wasn't…"

"Oh come on, Spencer," Emily said. "We all know it wasn't that golden retriever you were looking at."

"Nope," Hanna agreed. "You were looking at the Great Man."

She rolled her eyes, "come on, you guys."

"No, what was that? We want to know what that was," Hanna said.

"It was nothing."

"Um, that wasn't nothing, okay. That was something. That guy was drooling more than his dog."

"Let it go, Hanna," she said rolling her eyes.

"Come on," Emily said. "Just tell us what went down just now. Do you know that guy?"

"Sort of," she said. "He was the cop that saved Lucy and I during the robbery."

"Oh," Hanna smirked. "So that's your superman."

"He's not my superman. He just was very brave."

"I think it was cute how he almost got shot to save you and Lucy," Emily said.

"Not just brave," Hanna said. "It was downright hot. How did he sound when he saved you?" Hanna mocked ripping apart her shirt like heroes do in movies and spoke in a deep voice, "stop right there! Take me and let that young woman live!"

"Come on, Han," Spencer said. "What Officer Cavanaugh did was very brave. I'm not going to lie. I'm very grateful for what he did. Anybody would be grateful for what he did."

"It was kind of romantic in a way," Emily said.

"How did you repay him?" Hanna asked.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Like after he saved you, what did you do in return?"

"Oh, well, he gave me a ride home to make sure my daughter and I were okay. I gave him a cup of tea."

"That's it," Hanna's face sagged. "You gave him a cup of tea?"

"And a kiss on the cheek."

Hanna scoffed, "well if that were me, I would give that boy a whole lot more than just a kiss on the cheek. Especially with how cute he is, I would drag his ass home to bed."

"I'm sure Caleb would love if you did that," she said rolling her eyes.

"I'm just saying, that boy risked his life for you. You should give him something."

"Why does everyone think the only way to repay someone is by having sex?"

"Because sex is fun and with sex everybody wins."

"I'm not agreeing with Hanna saying you should sleep with him," Emily said. "But just make sure he knows how much you appreciate what he did for your and your daughter."

"Hey, mommy," Lucy came over with something clenched inside her fist.

Spencer sat forward, "what is it, honey?"

"Look what I caught!"

Lucy unfolded her hand and a green, grasshopper jumped out. Spencer yelped and flinched away from it.

"Lucy, where on earth did you get that?"

"I found it by the slide," she said pointing.

"Why did you pick it up?"

"Because Matthew told me to."

Spencer sent a glare in Hanna's direction. Hanna just shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"Well, kids will be kids."

Spencer shook it off and stood up from the bench, "well, it was nice to see you ladies, but Lucy needs to get to daycare and I have work to get to. Say goodbye to your aunts, Luc."

"Bye aunt, Hanna, and Emily," she said hugging both of them.

"See you later, squirt."

Spencer said goodbye to Matthew, before taking Lucy's hand and walking back to their car. She drops Lucy off with Miss. Montgomery at daycare then drives off to work. Spencer is a library director. She reaches Rosewood Library and heads straight for her office. This library is two stories with over thousands of books and movies. Every day there are different activities that take place. As a director, it is her job to set up all these events and make sure they happen.

* * *

As she sat in her office working on the calendar for the next two months, she thought more about what Hanna and Emily said. They were right in a way. She does owe Toby for risking his life for her and her daughter. She should do more to repay him. Maybe not get him into bed, but she could take him out somewhere. Plus, this guy is really cute, so it would be a bonus just to spend time with him. After staring at her cell phone for the last two hours debating on what her next move will be. She fumbles around inside her purse for something and pulls out a the card he gave her. " _Well, when Lucy makes up her mind," he pulled out a card with his number on it. "Let me know."_

She bites her lip and stares at the card in her hand. After thinking about it for sometime, she's made up her mind. She quickly dials his number and waits. She slumps forward in her chair listening to her phone ring. It rang a total of three and almost a fourth before he answered.

"Hello?"

The sound of his calm, husky voice nearly startled her. She almost felt like hanging up the phone. That would be like a middle school girl calling and hanging up on the boy she has a crush on.

"Hello?" He said again.

"Uh, Hi, hello," she finally spoke.

Toby thought he recognized the voice, but wanted to make sure, " who is this?"

"It's Spencer."

"Spencer," his face lit up. "Is everything okay? Did something happen to Lucy?"

"No," she quickly responded. "I'm fine. Lucy's fine. We're both fine."

"Oh, well, if everything's okay, is there a reason why you called? Not that I'm not thrilled you did. Actually, I love that you called."

"Really?" She felt herself smile like a schoolgirl.

"Really? Why did you call?"

"Oh, um, well, I thought I'd call you to take you up on that offer to grab some coffee."

He paused before responding, "so, Lucy made up her mind?"

"Yeah," she had to laugh at that and nodded. "Lucy's made up her mind."

* * *

 **I see a Spoby coffee date in the future. There maybe some flirty Spoby in the next chapter, so look forward to that. Did you all get my dog breed reference? Instead of saying Great Dane, I put Great Man? I don't know if you guys got that. Haha. Anyway, the feedback I'm getting from you guys is great. Keep up with the reviews and I'll keep up with updates.**


	4. Chapter 4

Mid afternoon rolled around and the bright, gold sun appeared from behind the white clouds. After finishing up a few things, Spencer grabbed her purse from under her desk and walked out onto the near empty sidewalk. Her car is parked in the library parking lot. She could drive to the coffee shop, but it's just down the block. She should just walk there then, walk back to her car later. Spencer clenched her purse and went on down the sidewalk. It's too nice of a day to be driving anyway. The sun is out and the sky is mostly blue with only a few clouds sailing from here and there. Her mind wondered about Lucy. Perhaps she got to play outside today. Even if they did just go to the park before being dropped off at daycare. Lucy loves the outdoors.

As she got closer to the shop, she stood outside for a minute or two just staring at the building. The exterior of the place is painted a tan color with slightly tinted windows. A semi-cool breeze blew through the air and swept through her brown waves. Should she really go in to have coffee with this man? She barely knows him. They've had like one conversation. Two if you count the short one they shared over the phone. Toby seems like a nice guy, but just seeming like a nice guy is what's catching her off guard. The last time she met a guy she thought was nice, it ended up almost ruining her life.

' _Cooler Than Me' started blastings through the speakers just as Spencer entered the bar. After all the work she's done this week, all the homework she's completed, and that lovely dinner she just had with her family. She could really use a drink right now. She gets to the counter and immediately orders a gin martini. Normally her choice of drink is vodka, but tonight, she's in the mood for something different. She receives her martini and takes it down without giving it a second thought. The alcohol burned going down her throat, but it washed away all the burns from today._

" _Can I get another one?" She asked with a scratchy voice._

" _Make that two and put her drink on my tab," a young man said, sitting down beside her._

 _She snapped her head in the man's direction. There sitting on the stool beside her sat a pretty decent looking man. He had short, brown hair and wore a charming smile on his face. Any girl would take one like at the man and be begging for his number. "He's pretty cute," Spencer thought, but strange. He just comes over and sits beside her demanding the waiter to add her drinks to his tab. Who does he think he is?_

" _I didn't ask you for a drink," she snapped._

" _Gentlemen's don't need to need to be asked," he said with a soft smile._

 _Maybe she missed his British accent the first time he spoke. This time, her eyes were more focused on his brown eyes. Just by looking at him, Spencer could tell that this guy picks up a lot of women. For all she knows he could just be looking for a short fling. No matter how hard she tried to fight it, she fell for it anyway._

After swallowing her pride, Spencer tossed the strap of her purse over her shoulder and walked on inside the coffee shop. As soon as the door shut behind her, she stood around the room wondering if he's here yet. He asked to meet her here at 3 and it is 3:04. She decided to order herself a cup and sit at a table while she waits for him to show. At 3:10, the bell above the door jingled and a new customer walked in.

He's running a little later and Toby knows that. He would've been here before 3, but Tanner had him do some last minute work. Now, he only has fifteen minutes to take his break. Toby leaves the police station and rushes over to the coffee shop. When he reaches the outside, he peeks through the window and smiles seeing her sitting at a table. He walks in and orders himself a medium coffee with Irish cream. After receiving his drink, he moves to join her at the two person table by the window.

"Hi," he sits across from her.

Spencer quickly sat up and started fixing her hair, "uh. hey, hi."

He smiled at her, "how was work. I'm assuming you just came from there."

"Yeah, I did," she said, nodding. "Work was okay."

"That's good. Where do you work?"

"At the library. I'm the activity director, so I'm responsible for planning all the events that go on at the library."

"Events such as?" He asked.

"Well, such as summer reading programs, Kid Friday, and reading for teens. Stuff like that."

"What is Kid Friday?"

"Well, at our library we do this thing where if you have a child between the ages of 7 and 12, whenever they check out a book using their own library card, their name gets added to a drawing, Every Friday, we draw three names, which gives kids a chance to win some cool prizes."

"Wow," Toby said sounding impressed. "And you set up all those things. That's a lot to take care of."

"Yeah, but it's my job. Whatever keeps the cash flowing in for my daughter and me."

"Lucy seems like a smart kid."

"Thanks," she said with a slight grin. "You know, she gets that from her mother."

He chuckles, "yeah, I figured that."

"Lucy is only in daycare at this point, but she'll be starting preschool next year."

"Lucy's four-years-old, right?"

Spencer nodded, "she is. Sometimes she acts more mature for her age. Until I make her favorite 'Frozen' pancakes then, she acts like a four-year-old."

"We all act like four-year-olds when it comes to 'Frozen' pancakes or just pancakes, in particular," he joked.

She laughed, "a big, brave police officer like you eats 'Frozen' Pancakes?"

"Of course he does," he said, feeling proud of himself.

She continued to laugh. Hearing her laugh is the prettiest sound he's heard all day. Maybe even the prettiest sound he's heard at all. He can't get over the way her eyes light up and her lips turn up into a wide grin, showing off her shiny white teeth.

"I hope you don't mind me asking about Lucy's father."

She sighed then her lips formed a straight line, "that guy Isn't in my life anymore. He hasn't been for some time."

"When was the last time you heard from him?"

She stared up at the wall trying to think, "I think it was after he walked out and said he doesn't have time for a kid right now. He just left."

"Oh," he said, keeping his eyes on her. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him and smiled softly, "It's okay. Lucy's father Isn't the greatest guy in the world. We actually might be better off without him."

"Does she ever ask about her dad?"

"She has once or twice. I know it's wrong, but I try avoiding the subject."

"Well, by the looks, you seem to be doing just fine taking care of her on your own. Honestly, I admire you for that. You have a job that pays good money and you're here to support your daughter."

"Everything I do is for her."

"That's a good thing. I haven't known you for very long, but I can tell that you're a great mother."

"Thank you," she smiled sweetly at him. "That means a lot."

"So, we still have a few minutes before my break is over," he says while looking at his watch. "Do you want to split a muffin?"

She twisted her lip, "oh, I don't know. It might ruin my diet."

He smiled ambitiously, "I'll make it chocolate chip."

"Okay," she gave in. "Only because chocolate chip is my favorite."

A waitress brought one chocolate chip muffin to their table and Toby took a plastic knife to cut it in half. Since he got to cut it, he let Spencer pick which half she wanted. She chooses the left side and Toby joked about her getting the half with the most chocolate chips. He hands her half of the muffin and keeps the other half for himself. Spencer takes one bit out of the muffin and instantly melts at it's heavenly, sweet taste. Toby watches her and cracks a little smile.

"I'm guessing you don't get muffins very often?"

She sends him a glare pretending to be annoyed by him, "just so you know, my whole diet for this week has been thrown off and it's entirely your fault."

He chuckled, "sorry, I had to do whatever it took to keep you here and talking to me longer."

"Oh, well," she gazes into his eyes, slowly taking another bite out of her muffin. "I guess it was worth it then."

"Maybe I could get another chance to ruin your diet this week."

She looked at him curiously, "how so?"

"I was hoping you would let me take you out to dinner Friday night."

He looked down and began nervously drumming his fingers on the wooden table. Something he always did when he got nervous. It was a habit he picked up when he was six-years-old. In the first grade, the teacher called on him to answer a question he didn't know the answer to. He got so nervous and started drumming on his desk with his fingers. Sometimes he will bite down on his lip. All of the many signs to show someone that he's nervous. Spencer probably doesn't know him well enough to tell.

She sat there silently for a moment thinking about his proposal. She's definitely considering it, but should she go? Should she trust this man? It's only one date. What if one date turns into two and then three? She really should be telling her brain to slow down here. One night couldn't hurt Toby seems like a really nice, trusting guy. He's a cop, so how bad could he be?

She's met worst men in her life. They've all started out the same. They seem like a nice guy at first then, boom! One morning you wake up to the real them. Most men she's encountered have turned out to be selfish, inconsiderate, awful men. No matter how nice the seam at the beginning, they always turn out to be a complete asshole. Something about Toby feels different. Maybe he is different. She's getting a different vibe from him, so he must be unlike other men.

She finally croaked her head to the side and smiled at him in a flirtatious way, "are uh, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Uh, yeah," he chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. Another thing he does when he gets nervous.

"I think I am."

"I don't know," she bit her lip in an almost teasing way. "I don't really know you that well."

"Well, you can find out all you want to know about me at dinner on Friday. That is if you accept my offer. Don't think you're the only one who is mesmerized here. Just by looking at you, I can tell that there's this amazing woman inside. I could say want, but I feel like I have to know more about you."

"So, you're saying you find me intriguing?"

He nodded slowly, "crazy, right? A girl I just met not even five days ago and I already have this yearning to get to know her better."

Spencer had to laugh at that, "you yearn for me?"

"Okay," he laughed nervously. "Maybe not yearn, but I'm just really interested."

"Tell you what," she stops biting her lip and leans forward in her chair. "As crazy as this may sound, I actually feel the same way. Which believe me, it's surprising, especially with my history with men."

"Is that a yes?"

She nodded, "that's a yes. Keep in mind, plans may change if I can't find a sitter for Lucy Friday night. I should be able to, but if for some reason I do not, I'm sorry."

"No, I understand. Putting Lucy first is good. It's always good to put your kid first."

"Yeah," she nodded in agreement. "Speaking of Lucy, I should go. I'm supposed to pick her up real soon."

"Okay," he stood up with her. "So, you'll call me?"

"Yeah, I'll call you."

"Good," he smiled.

She smiled too, "this was nice. I'm glad Lucy let me come."

He laughed, "I'm glad Lucy let you come too."

"I'll see you later."

"Yeah," he smiled sweetly. "See you later."

She uses her hand to push the door open and walks out. More clouds have gathered across the sky since she was inside. Her feet carry her back up the sidewalk to where her car is parked in the library parking spot. She hops right in and takes off down the road to the daycare center.

* * *

At the daycare center, Ms. Montgomery stood around keeping a close eye on all the kids. Lucy's mother should be here at any time to pick her up. She already helped her get her things organized and ready for when her mother arrives. As expected, Spencer walked gracefully into the room with her arms open and ready to hug her smiling daughter. Lucy's face lit up the moment she saw her mother walk in. She always gets excited when he mom comes.

"Mommy!"

Lucy ran into mother's arms. Spencer picked up her daughter and hugged her tightly while grinning from ear to ear. She loosened her grip on her daughter and held her high on her waist.

"Mommy guess what I made today!"

"What did you make?" She asked.

Lucy held up her little bead bracelet, "I made you a caft!"

"I think you mean craft," Spencer said laughing."

"That's what I said." She hands it to her. "Do you like it?"

"Like it?" Spencer says, examining all the beads, "I love it."

That made Lucy grin from ear to ear. Spencer held her daughter in another tight embrace. Just then, Ms. Montgomery walked up to them.

"Hey, Ella," Spencer greeted.

"Hello there Spencer."

"How was she today?"

"Good as always. Still a little shy, but she's working on it.

"That's good to hear. Lucy's not having any problems with any of the other kids?"

"None that I've noticed."

"Well, that's good." She felt Lucy yawning against her shoulder and laughed. "I better set this one down for a nap soon."

Ella smiled, "I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

"Okay. Have fun with the other kids."

"Oh, I will."

Spencer walked out with her daughter curled against her frame. She sets her in her car seat and makes sure she's buckled in correctly before moving to get in the driver's seat. As soon as she's in, she starts the car and drives them home. From the mirror, Spencer can see Lucy sitting in her car seat just gazing up at the clouds.

"Mommy," she spoke up out of the blue.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"This one kid at my daycare center said that her grandma is up in the clouds watching over her. That's why she's not here on earth. Is that where my daddy is too?"

Spencer looked away from the mirror real quick to think that through. Lucy's asked her questions like this before and each time she never knows how to answer them. Spencer looked back in the mirror and said.

"Your father is all over the place."

That was all she said. Lucy seemed to buy her answer for now because she didn't ask anything after that. She turned her gaze back towards the moving blue sky with milky white clouds. Spencer took a deep breath and went back to focusing on the road. It's hard talking about Lucy's biological father. Especially when she knows that there's no hope of him ever returning into their lives. Spencer hopes her father will stay away. He's trouble and Lucy doesn't need that kind of trouble in her life. Lucy deserves a good father One that will treat her right, take care of her, support her, teach her, help her grow, and love her. Being blood-related doesn't make a man a father. It's all the expects Spencer just listed in her mind plus more. By god, she hopes someday that Lucy will get the father that she deserves. Not only will Lucy have somebody who loves her, but so will she. Love has never come easy for Spencer and she hopes one day she'll find it. For both her and her daughter.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading another chapter of 'Hostage.' Hopefully, you all liked it. How did you guys like Spencer and Toby's little coffee date? They already made plans to go to dinner. Any ideas on how that's going to go? Will Spencer take a chance with this new man who's working is way into her life? Or will she shut him out before he can get to close to her and her daughter? Will fear get in the way?**

 **Keep leaving reviews. You guys have done a great job reviewing the last three chapters. I hope to see more for this one!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's a new chapter for you guys. Obviously. Read to find out how their date goes.**

* * *

On Friday, Spencer had the whole day off from work, so she stayed home with Lucy. They started the day by meeting up with Aria and her daughter, Layla for breakfast. Thankfully Layla was feeling a lot better today and was happy to see her friend, Lucy. After breakfast, the two returned to their home. During breakfast, Spencer and Aria started talking about brownies and Lucy decided she wanted one. When they got back to their apartment, Lucy helped Spencer make brownies. Right now, Lucy's watching the oven for the brownies to finish baking.

"Mommy!" Lucy called out. "How many more minutes?"

"What does the timer say?" Spencer responded from the living room.

"The arrows pointing at a two."

"That means they're two minutes left on the brownies."

Lucy sighed, "this is taking forever!"

Spencer laughed, "be patient little one."

The two minutes flew by, but not fast enough for Lucy. To her it felt like all day. As soon as the timer went off, Spencer got up and took the brownies out of the oven. She told Lucy to wait another fifteen minutes for the brownies to cool before she could have one. While waiting on the brownies to cool off, Spencer made them lunch. Spencer thought that since they're sitting down together that now would be a good time to talk about her plans for tonight.

"Sweetie," Spencer started.

Lucy looked up from her sandwich, "yes, mommy?"

"You remember that nice cop we met at the bank a few days ago, right?"

"The one who saved us?"

She nodded, "yes, him."

"He was nice."

Spencer smiled and nodded, "yeah, he was very nice. Actually, he invited to take me out tonight."

"Officer is taking you out, where?" Lucy asked tilting her head.

"Oh, well, he's just taking me to dinner."

"Can I come too? I love dinner!"

She laughed, "no, Lucy, sweetie. I'm sorry, but you can't come with me. Officer...Toby and I are going by ourselves. It's what people do when they go on a date."

"A date? You mean like those play dates you and aunt Hanna set me up with Matthew to go on?"

"Yeah," Spencer nodded. "It's sort of like that. I guess you could say Toby and I are going on a little play date."

"I always wondered why people go on playdates."

"It's a way people get to learn more about each other and bond a little."

"Is it fun?"

"Some play dates can be fun. Don't you have fun on your playdates with Matthew?"

Lucy smiled and nodded, "oh yes, lots of fun!"

She smiled, "that's why I agreed to go on this play date with Toby. Even moms need to have a little fun with their friends every once in awhile."

"When can I have a playdate with Toby?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you said people go on play dates to get to know each other. Will Toby take me out for a playdate?"

"Um," Spencer put two fingers over her lips to stop herself from laughing. "I don't know about that. Maybe sometime down the road the three of us will go on a playdate together."

Lucy grinned, "I like the sound of that. Wait. If you're not going to be with me tonight then, will I be home all by myself."

"Oh, no," she said right away. "I would never leave you home alone. Not when you're so young. You're going to be hanging out with Aunt Emily tonight."

"Yay!" Lucy cheered.

"Yes, Aunt Emily is very excited to be spending time with you."

"I finished my lunch, may I have a brownie now?"

Spencer nodded, "yes, let me cut a piece for you then, it's nap time before Emily gets here to pick you up."

* * *

At 6:30 pm, Emily showed up to watch Lucy for the night. Emily figured it would be better if she just stayed with Lucy at their apartment instead of taking Lucy back to her place. That way Spencer won't have to get into her car and drive over to pick up Lucy and take her back home. Emily knocked on the door and Spencer ran out to answer it.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hi."

Emily stepped inside, shutting the door after her. She looked around the room and noticed Lucy lying on the couch while watching Ice Age. When she looked back at Spencer, she noticed that she's dressed in a black speckled French Terry dress with red pumps. Her hair is straight and shiny.

"You look nice," Emily said.

"Thank you," she sighed, putting her favorite stud earrings in.

"What time is Toby picking you up?"

"He said he'll be here at 7 and right now it's 6:47. Oh my god," she takes a seat at the kitchen table and tries to breathe. Emily sits next to her.

"What am I doing?"

"You're going out on a date tonight with a smoking hot guy who likes you."

She shook her head, "what if I'm not ready for this? I mean, I'm letting this guy who I've only known for a few days take me out tonight. What if this date turns into a disaster? What if he turns out to be just like all the other men I've dated?"

"You won't know for sure until you go for it," Emily said. "Sometimes you just have to go with your gut. What is your gut telling you right now?"

"My guts telling me to go and give him a chance. I've had gut feelings before, but this time it's as if he's the one pulling on my gut."

"Does it feel right?"

She shrugged, "It does, but I'm also afraid of being wrong. You know how much I hate being wrong, Em."

 _It's been two and a half years since Spencer's gone on a date with anybody. Ever since her daughter was born, she's been finding it hard to leave her. For the past several weeks, she and a new coworker have gotten pretty close. Last month, Jamie Gregory started working at the hotel. Spencer worked as a maid at a hotel before she got a job at the library in Rosewood. Anyway, Jamie seemed to be a really nice guy at first. On the third week of knowing each other, he asked her out for dinner and she accepted._

 _He took her to a French restraint ten minutes out of town. The place was nice and the food was lovely. Jamie talked a lot about himself and where he's from. He talked about his family story and how he was engaged to a woman for seven months. His fiance ended up calling off the engagement because she fell in love with somebody else she met in college._

" _I suppose it was the right thing for me to do," Jamie explained. "If I really cared about Wendy and wanted her to be happy. The right thing to do was to let her go and be with the man she really loves."_

" _That must've been so hard for you," Spencer responded, shaking her head._

" _It was at the time, but I had no choice. She loved Robin and not me."_

" _Did you ever met Robin? Was he a nice guy?"_

" _Uh, I have met Robin. Actually, he turned out to be my brother."_

" _Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. At least now, you know she's with a nice guy."_

 _Jamie shrugged, "I suppose. What about you?"_

" _What about me?"_

" _You haven't talked about your family."_

" _Oh, well, I sort of lost contact with my family after Lucy was born."_

" _Lucy?" He questioned. "Is that your sister."_

" _No, actually, Lucy's my two-year-old daughter."_

 _Jamie's eyes widen. He set his fork down on the plate and took a deep breath._

" _You have a daughter?" He asked, after a moment of silence._

 _Spencer nodded, "yes, did I not mention that before?"_

" _Uh, No," he huffed a laugh. "I don't think you did mention that small important detail about you. You're so young. I didn't think."_

" _Yeah," she shrugged. "I know I'm a little young, but that doesn't mean I'm not a good mother. If you're worried about her father, don't be. That guy's not in my life anymore."_

" _You see," Jamie folded his arms on the table and leaned forward. "I just don't date women who have children. I don't really care much for kids."_

" _Jamie, I've talked about Lucy before. Me having a daughter shouldn't surprise you this much."_

" _You talked about a girl named Lucy. You never told me that she was your daughter. I just thought she was your sister or niece. I'm sorry," he said, standing up. "I can't do this. I can't date a woman who has a daughter. That has drama written all over it."_

* * *

Toby took a deep breath as he pulled up along the street in front of Spencer's house. Right now, he's excited and nervous to be taking this woman out for dinner. There's just something about this girl. He's not sure what it is about her that has him so intrigued. The door is opened not even a second after he knocks. He gets one glimpse of Spencer standing in her dress and instantly smiles. She really is a sight to see.

"Hi," she smiled.

"Hey, you look nice."

"Thank you. You can come in. I just need another minute then we can go."

"Okay." He steps inside her apartment and looks around. It still looks the same since the last time he's been here only cleaner. There's another young woman sitting on the couch next to a drowsy Lucy.

"Hi there," he smiled politely.

The woman smiled back, "hi, I'm Emily. I'm a friend of Spencer's."

"It's nice to meet you, Emily."

She nodded, "likewise."

"Okay."

Spencer walked back into the living room with her purse and makeup completed. She looks really good in that dress and her hair looks beautiful. Everything about her looks beautiful. Spencer fixes the strap on her purse then allows it to hang from her shoulder. Turning to Emily, she says.

"Thank you for agreeing to watch Lucy."

Emily smiled, "no problem." She turns towards Toby. "You better take care of her and treat her right. I'm not very violent, but our friend Hanna does have a tendency to stick her heels up the ass of anyone who hurts Spencer."

Toby chuckled nervously, "don't worry. I won't do anything to hurt Spencer ever."

"Good," her smile turns more sincere. "Have fun you two and remember to not keep her out too late."

"Yeah," Lucy spoke from the couch. "Don't have her out past bedtime."

Spencer laughed and kneeled down to kiss her daughter goodbye. "Be a good girl for aunt, Em, alright?"

"I will mommy."

"Okay, bye, sweetie."

Spencer stands back up and turns around to see Toby waiting patiently by the door. Normal guys would be tapping their foot while they impatiently check their watch. Toby just stood there calmly waiting on her. She walks over to him and says she's ready to go. He opens the front door for her and closes it behind her.

The navy blue sky turned darker as the night went on. Toby took Spencer to an Italian restaurant that's right here in Rosewood. She loves getting pasta from Italian restaurants. He made reservations for them to have a table for two seated away from the windows. While most people like sitting close to a window, Spencer doesn't like it. In her opinion, people tend to get distracted if they're sitting by the window on a date. The person you're on a date with will spend more time watching what's going on outside instead of focusing on keeping the date alive. Toby was good and managed to save a table that's away from a window and not too close to loud dinner guest.

A tall, pale looking guy named Jeffrey, came over to get their drink orders. Toby asked for a bottle of white wine and was presented with one right away. They were then given a few minutes to decide on what they wanted to eat. Soon after, the two ordered. They waited around awhile for their food to get here.

"I really glad you agreed to come tonight," Toby said.

"Yeah, me too," she said, taking a sip of her wine.

"So, tell me about you."

She smiled shyly and shrugged, "what about me?"

"Well, what are you like? What are your likes and your dislikes? Do you have a criminal record or any tattoos that I should know about?"

Spencer laughed, "no, I don't have a criminal record. Although, I did punch a guy in the 10th grade once."

"For what reason?"

"He grabbed my ass."

"Oh," he chuckled. "I guess that was a good reason.

"Yeah, apparently the principal thought so too. He didn't give me detention and it wasn't added to my record."

"Interesting. Tell me I'm wrong, but you strike me as the type of girl who could talk her way out of a speeding ticket," he teased.

"Only the cute ones," she said, smirking then winking at him.

"What are your interests?" He asked after their food arrived. "Clearly I got down that you're a big fan of Italian food, but what else?"

"Well, I'm very big on movies. I love to watch movies. Ever since I was a little girl I was just fascinated with the amazing things people can create on screen. All those actors and actresses. Plus, watching movies is how I like to escape reality."

"You're a movie girl. Maybe next time I'll take you to a theater that serves Italian food."

"Next time?" She said with a teasing smile.

"Oh," his face flushed. "I mean if there would be a next time. How can there be a next time, when this time Isn't even over. Oh, wow," he set his elbow on the table nervously and hid his face. "I'm off to a great start."

"No," she giggled, reaching across the table for his hand. "You're doing fine. This night has actually been perfect. You're very sweet. You took my to my favorite restaurant and you didn't try to impress me by starting off with, "'let me show you what's good here.'"

"Well, I'm glad I decided not to open up with that," he teased.

She laughed again, "and see. You're funny too. I think I've laughed more tonight here with you than I've ever laughed in the last ten years."

"That's a good thing right?"

Spencer smiled and nodded, "that's a very good thing. I miss being able to smile and laugh like I really mean it. That's something I haven't gotten to do in a long time."

"I like it too. A smile looks good on you and your laugh is probably my favorite sound in the whole world right now. You're a fantastic mother and you're beautiful. You probably hear this from men a lot."

"No," she shook her head. "Not really. Actually," she brushed her hair behind her ear. "Most men actually ditch me as soon as they find out I have a daughter. A lot of guys can't seem to deal with children. I tend to scare men off."

He reaches across the table to lace their hands together, "you don't scare me. I actually really care for you and you having a daughter doesn't change that fact. I don't know if that scares you any."

She smiled softly, "not as much as it should."

Toby squeezes her hand, "good. I want you to know that I…"

Just when he was about to get out the rest of his sentence, Spencer's phone rang. She pulled her hand away from his and excused herself for a second. He nodded and allowed her to talk to whoever it is calling. She told him at the beginning she would be keeping her cell on in case of an emergency. Spencer listened to the other person and cupped a hand over her mouth. She asked a few questions too quietly for Toby to hear. After a minute, she hung up her phone and started collecting her purse.

"I'm sorry," she breathed. "I-I have to get home."

His forehead wrinkled in concern, "is everything okay?"

"No," she shakes her head. "Lucy's not feeling well. Emily said an hour after I left she got sick and now she's burning up. I have to get home."

"Okay," Toby stands up. "I'll give you a ride home."

She stands up and hangs her purse on her wrist, "god, I feel terrible having to cut this date so short."

"No," he shook his head and smiled. "Don't worry about it. Your daughter needs you and that's more important."

She smiled sweetly at him before walking out to the car. Toby drove her home quickly after he paid for dinner.

* * *

 **Woops. Looks like they had to cut the date a little short. Next chapter Spencer will rush home to care for Lucy and of course sweet Toby will try to stick around to be well, sweet Toby. Lol. Thanks again for reading.**

 **I've already started the next chapter of this story and I should have it down soon. So far everyone has been doing fine sending in reviews. If this chapter gets some good reviews, I'll have the next chapter up by Friday.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, the last chapter did not get that many reviews, but I'm posting this chapter anyway. I won't always be able to update this easily. Since it is fall break for me, I might be able to again next week. Anyway, here's the chapter I promised. This chapter might make you laugh a little. I don't know if you've ever found my stories funny. If you've read some of my other stories then, you know that I like tohad some light heart to it. This is definitely one of those chapters. Hopefully this chapter will get a little bit more feedback.**

* * *

When they back to Spencer's apartment, Toby felt the need to come in with her. She didn't seem to mind since she held the door for him. Emily ran out from Lucy's room to greet them. Spencer tore off her coat not even bothering to hang it up on the coat rack. She tosses it behind her not even knowing where it may land. Toby ended up catching it at the last second with his left hand.

"Lucy?" Spencer pants. "How is she?"

"She's in her bed asking for you," Emily said.

"Okay, thanks for watching her, Em. You can go."

Spencer yelled while running down the hall towards Lucy's room. She almost slipped on her heel when she ran into Lucy's room. Lucy looked so tiny underneath all those covers. Spencer kneeled down beside her bed and started brushing back Lucy's hair to feel her forehead.

"Aw, sweetie," she whispered. "You're burning up."

"My tummy hurts," Lucy whined.

"I know," Spencer combed her fingers through her hair. "I'm going to go get a thermometer from the bathroom to check your temperature, okay?"

Spencer walks into the bathroom searching for a thermometer. When she took Lucy's temperature, it came out 101.1. What Lucy needs right now is a cool bath. Not too cold and not too hot either. She got her bath ready while looking for some Tylenol to give her. It should help with her stomach pains. Spencer looked through the house only to find that they don't have anymore Tylenol. There's nothing else here that Lucy can take.

After Lucy's bath, Spencer dressed her back in her pajamas and laid her on the couch. Surprisingly, Toby is still here. He's been standing around in the living room wondering if he could be any help to the situation.

"How's Lucy?" He asked.

Spencer sighed, "she has a temperature over 100. She needs Tylenol, but we don't have anymore. God, I knew I should've picked some up earlier this week."

"Do you want me to go get some?"

She looks at him, "oh, no, you don't have to do that. Actually, you should've gone home already."

He shakes his head, "it won't be a problem. There's a store right down the street. It won't take long."

"Well, if you really don't mind. At least let me give you money for it."

She handed him the money for the medicine and he accepted it. What she doesn't know is Toby plans on just buying it with his money. He'll find a way to return her own money back. After promising to be back soon, Toby walked out the door.

Not too much time passed since Toby left. He came back with the medicine and a few other things he read helps children who have fevers. Spencer thanked him then gave some medicine to Lucy. Fifteen minutes later, Lucy fell asleep on the couch snuggled underneath her favorite blue blanket. When things calmed down a bit, Spencer found time to thank Toby for dealing with all their trouble.

"Tonight was interesting," he said, walking towards the door.

Spencer walked with him, "Yeah, I'm really sorry we had to cut tonight short."

"No, it's okay. I understand."

"I had a good time," she said, smiling. "Really. For a few minutes, I actually felt like a teenager again. Just being able to kick back, let loose, and laugh more."

"Having a night off is good every once in awhile."

"I agree."

"Is there any chances of getting a second date?"

"Hmm, I'll think about it."

He nodded and said, "okay."

"I'd say a second date is definitely in your favor."

Toby smiled, "good to know that I actually have a chance. Hopefully, your daughter feels better soon. Not for my sake, but mostly because I know that being sick is no fun."

"No, it's not."

"Will she be okay? If you need anything else."

"Thank you," she smiles. "Lucy will be fine. You've already done more than enough. It's getting late and even a nice officer like you could use some rest."

"Well, if you're sure. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Thank you again," she said seriously. "For not only taking me out tonight but for helping me out with Lucy. I don't think I've ever met a guy who would go through this much trouble just for one girl."

"Yeah, well," he took a step closer. "You're not like other women."

She steps closer, "and you're not like other men."

He searched her brown eyes and felt his heart beating hard against his chest. She really is a beauty. Her hair, her eyes, her face. Everything about is just perfect. He got the sudden urge to kiss her. Right when he was going for it, Lucy whined from her spot on the couch. Spencer closed her eyes and sighed. Toby just smiled and took a step back.

"I should move her to her bed."

He nodded, "I'll see you soon."

"Yeah," she smiles. "Thanks again for taking me out. It was nice."

"I'd like you take you out anytime."

If Lucy wasn't sitting right there in the room, Toby would've kissed her. Instead, they settled on a handshake. After another short goodbye, he was out the door. The rest of the night went rather smoothly. Lucy didn't get sick again. She spent the rest of the night sleeping soundly in her bed with Spencer lying on the chair in her room in an uncomfortable position. By morning, Lucy's temperature was back down to normal.

* * *

By early afternoon, Lucy felt well enough to eat something. Spencer made her a grilled cheese sandwich and she washed it down with a glass of milk. After lunch, Spencer had to go to work, so she dropped Lucy off at Aria's since she doesn't have work today. Lucy spent the day with aunt Aria and Layla. Aria's fiance, Ezra, stopped by for a bit. Lucy likes her uncle Ezra because he gives her horsey back rides. Lucy tends to get along with all of her aunts and uncles. Mostly because they all seem to adore her. It's good to know that Spencer's friends all love Lucy as if she were their own child. Growing up, Spencer never got that from her family.

 _It's Christmas time in the U.S and relatives from all over the world are coming to the Hastings manor. Spencer's grandparents on her dad's side of the family are coming. As well as her aunts and uncles. That includes her aunt Nora who lives in French. She is just a joy to have around. *Insert sarcasm here.* Spencer's dad's side of the family comes for Christmas every other year. They always spend the whole time praising Melissa for her success and leave Spencer out in the cold. Whenever Melissa does something it's a huge deal and everybody praises her on it. When Spencer does something they fix her with a cold stare and say, "oh, that's nice. Now, back to Melissa." It's the same thing all the time._

" _Melissa bonjour!" Aunt Nora greeted the second she walked through the door._

 _The Hastings stood by the door ready to greet their relatives. Melissa stood with a huge grin on her face and hugged aunt Nora. Veronica and Peter greeted the parents and invited the cousins to come inside. Spencer stood back quietly showing off her best Hastings smile._

" _Bonjour aunt Nora," Melissa smiled. "Did you have a nice trip here?"_

 _She nodded, "Oui, it was very nice. T'was a little bumpy at times, but nice. The wine they served was incroyable."_

" _Wait till you hear about my internship in London. I'm going to be working there for two months."_

" _Oh," Aunt Nora beamed. "How exciting. You get to spend time doing an internship and it's in London. What would be better?"_

" _Yup," Melissa said proudly. "I'll be spending two whole months in London just living, working, and maybe make a life for myself."_

" _That's great news Melissa, dear. Great news." Nora turned her head, finally acknowledging Spencer's existents. "And you child? I suppose you don't have any internships coming up in London."_

" _I'm still waiting to hear back," Spencer responded._

" _I see," Nora scoffed, then turned towards Melissa again. "Come tell me all about this internship you'll be doing. I want to hear all about it."_

 _Aunt Nora blindness lay tossed her coat behind her and nearly hit Spencer in the face with it. Spencer cursed under her breath before hanging it up on the rack beside them. Melissa and Veronica lead the whole family in the living room where Melissa went on and on about her plans for the future. Spencer just remained standing quietly in the corner of the room trying not to roll her eyes at all the crap everybody is saying. When will Spencer finally get the chance to prove to her family that she's worth something? That Melissa isn't the only one who can achieve great things._

After having a two-hour meeting with the other workers, Spencer walked back into her office about ready to pack up her stuff and go. It's almost 5 o'clock and she's meeting Aria, Layla, and Lucy at the park. That's where she's picking Lucy up. Hanna and Emily may show up with Matthew.

It's a bit chilly out for this time of year. When Spencer stepped out of the library, there was a chilly breeze that swept through the town. On the thermometer in her car, it said 52 degrees. That's not terribly cold, but it is for Spencer. She gets to the park and starts walking around for Lucy and Aria. It didn't take long to find them. They were accompanied by Hanna, Matthew, and Emily. Lucy and Matthew are playing in the sandbox together while Hanna, Aria, and Emily talk about other things.

"Hey," Aria was the first one to greet Spencer. "There you are."

"Sorry I'm late," Spencer sighed, sitting between Emily and Aria. "My meeting ran a bit longer than expected. Halloween is rolling around and we're trying to think of something special to do at the library."

"Have you come up with anything yet?" Emily asked.

"We're starting to."

"I noticed that Lucy's feeling better today," Emily said while watching her play.

Spencer looked too, "yeah, she seems to be. After you left I think she got sick one more time then slept for the rest of the night."

"What did Toby say when you guys had to cut your date short?"

"He was very sweet about it. Actually, he helped me by running to the store for me. Since I couldn't leave Lucy home alone, he offered to go get her some medicine. Before he left, he asked if there was anything else he could do. I told him it was sweet of him to offer so much, but he should get home and rest."

"Aw, Toby is officially the sweetest guy ever," Hanna said. "Caleb and I always argue over who has to change Matthew. I wish he would stop being a big baby and just do it without being told."

"Come on you know it's not fair to compare one guy to another," Spencer said, playfully rolling her eyes.

"Before Emily called you, how did the date go?" Aria asked.

"It went very well," Spencer crossed one leg over the other as she spoke. "He took me to this nice restraint that has amazing Italian food."

"Oh, how nice," Aria said. "First a coffee date then Italian food. This guy knows the closest way to Spencer's heart is those two things."

"Yeah and throw in a nice French Film and I hear wedding bells," Emily teased.

"Is he a good kisser?" Hanna asked.

Spencer shrugged, "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Hanna asked. "Did you two kiss at all the other night?"

"No, we didn't actually."

"If there was no kiss then there was no making out. That means you don't have any steamy details to report back to us," Hanna gasped. "What kind of date do you call that?"

"A nice first date," Spencer said. "The whole evening was perfect. Why does everyone think people have to kiss on the first date? There's no rule that says you have to."

"Well," Aria said. "Did you want him to kiss you?"

Spencer bit her lip and looked around. How would they expect her to answer that? Of course, she wanted Toby to kiss her. What girl wouldn't? Toby's sweet, charming, and nice. He's polite and knows how to treat a woman properly. Not to mention he's handsome as hell. Hot even. Oh, there's no sugar coating it. That boy is hot as hell. Anybody who's not blind can see that.

"Spencer," Hanna urged her to speak.

"I'm taking your silence as a yes," Aria said.

"Well," Spencer finally blurted out. "How would you like me to respond to that question? Saying no I don't want a guy, I like to kiss me? Of course, I wanted him to. Toby's a very sweet guy and I like him."

"And by sweet you mean totally hot," Hanna laughed.

Again, Spencer rolled her eyes, "Hanna, please."

"Admit it, Spence, you've got the hots for Toby. At this point, you would give anything to get the taste of his tongue rubbing against yours."

Spencer tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at Hanna, "are you finished yet?"

"I bet Spencer wants to ride him like a bike," Hanna smiled. "Okay, now, I'm done."

"Remind me to have her tested sometimes for psyche," Spencer whispers to the other two.

Have you ever started thinking about someone or started talking about someone and suddenly they show up. Just as Spencer was finishing off her last sentence, she looked up and saw Toby walking through the park with his dog. He's wearing a blue polo shirt with blue jeans. God, he looks gorgeous. Spencer was too busy staring at his bold muscles outlining his shirt to notice that Lucy had gotten up from her spot in the sandbox and ran over to greet Toby.

* * *

While walking through the park with Sampson, Toby paid attention to all the birds chirping and the colors of the leaves on the treetops. He stopped suddenly when he felt his dog start jumping around and started wagging his tail. When he looked up, he saw Lucy running this way. When he looked around, he didn't see her mother around at first. Then, he saw Spencer sitting on a park bench with three other girls. He remembers one of those girls' name is Emily. A second later, Spencer realized that Lucy wasn't close by. Instead, she's running towards Toby. He stopped in his tracks and waited for the young girl to make her way towards him.

"Toby!" Lucy beamed and started jumping up and down when she was a foot away from him.

"Hi there," he smiled down at her. "Are you feeling better?"

She nodded, "except for all this sand in my shoes."

"That's good. Is your mother here with you?"

"Yes."

Just then, Spencer finally ran over to catch up with them. It wasn't that far of a run, but she was still out of breath. She has a feeling it had nothing to do with the fact that she sprinted over here. It most likely has to do with the man in front of her. The one with the ocean blue eyes and honey colored hair. Nobody else seemed to notice that Toby didn't peel his eyes away from her the moment she stepped foot on the sidewalk.

"Lucy," Spencer peered down at her daughter. "You know you're not supposed to run off without telling me first."

"But I wanted to say hi to Toby and his dog."

Spencer sighs, putting her hands on her hips and looks up at Toby. He's just standing there with a cute smile on his face. God, he's adorable.

"Hi," he says to her.

"Hey," she smiles back, pretending not to notice her own blushing. "I see you made a friend."

"That I have," he nods.

"Mommy, can I pet the doggy?"

"You'll have to ask Toby, sweetie," she responded. "It's his dog."

Lucy eyes Toby and he nods, "of course, you can. Sampson is very friendly with others."

Spencer smiles at how sweet he is with her daughter. Lucy kneels down and starts rubbing the dog's ears. The two watch her for a few seconds before eyeing each other once again. Toby watched the way her brown hair swayed in the wind. How her eyes glistened in the sunlight. The way her lips turned up into a smile whenever Sampson stuck out his tongue to slobber all over Lucy's face. Lucy would giggle and try pulling away, only to start petting him once again.

"Cute dog," Spencer tells him.

"Thanks. He was a rescued dog." Actually, Sampson was just a pup when they found him. Poor little guy was all shaken up the first night I brought him home. He's gotten a lot better and gets along great with others."

She looks at Toby, "you're cop, you risk your life, you're sweet, you're nice to kids, and you adopt animals from the rescues shelter. Is there anything you don't do?"

He chuckled, "Uh, I can't dance."

"Really?" She arched her eyebrow.

He nodded and laughed nervously, "I don't know why I told you that. For some women not being able to dance is a big turn off."

"Me not being able to dance Isn't what turns us off. It's the men who never dance with their girl's no matter if they have skill or not. They just want to have fun."

"Oh," he smiled. "Well, good to know."

"Hey, Toby, are we friends?" Lucy asked.

Toby looks down at her, "well, I don't know. Would you like to be?" She nodded and he smiled. "Then yes, I would love to be friends too."

"Cool!" She cheered, still rubbing the dog's ears. "We can go on our play date now!"

"Play date?" Toby looked at her then at Spencer for guidance.

"Yeah," Lucy said. "You know, so we can get to know each other. Don't you know what a play date is, silly? You and my mommy went on one last night. Right, mom?"

Lucy's now looking at Spencer. Spencer's cheeks burn a light shade of red. Toby returns his gaze towards Spencer and he can't seem to hide the amused look on his face.

"Lucy would like to know if you want to come over tomorrow for a play date with just the three of us."

Lucy turns her head towards Toby, "can you?"

"Sure," he chuckles. "I have to work in the afternoon, but I can stop by in the morning."

"Works for me!" Lucy grinned.

Lucy then lowers her voice he gestures for him to come here as if she's going to tell him her darkest secret. He eyes Spencer for a second before leaning down close enough that he can hear her. Lucy holds her right hand against her mouth and whispers.

"You should bring some ice with you tomorrow because you make my mommy hot."

It was Toby's turn to blush this time. Spencer pinched her eyes together and mentally face palmed herself. If she would open her eyes, she's hoping that what Lucy just said is all a dream. That this didn't really happen and she won't have to open her eyes to more embarrassment. To her dismay, it wasn't a dream. Spencer opened her eyes and Toby is still standing there looking about as red as she is.

"Lucy we should get home. It's getting close to dinner and pretty soon it will be time for bed."

"Okay," Lucy pouts, standing back on her feet. Spencer reaches for her daughter's hand. "Goodbye, Toby. We'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright."

"When you come over tomorrow you and my mommy can play horsey. My auntie Hanna said she wants to ride you like a pony."

This time, Spencer did not hold back her face palm. She didn't think her face could get in redder, but it did. Toby just laughed and tried to hide his nervousness. 'Well, there goes another relationship,' Spencer thought to herself. She finally moves her hand from over her face and dares herself to look at him. To her surprise, he's still smiling at her sweetly.

"So, does 10 am work for you?"

He nods, "10 am works fine for me."

"Okay," she forces a smile trying to hide her embarrassment. "See you then."

"Bye, Toby!" Lucy waves.

Toby smiles and waves back at them. Spencer pulls her away before she has the chance to repeat other things Lucy overheard Hanna and the others talking about. Today just marked number one on the list of embarrassing moments.

* * *

 **Haha, poor Spencer. I'm pretty sure if I were her, I would die from embarrassment. Spencer, Toby, and Lucy have a play date. Any ideas on how that's going to go?**

 **Thanks for reading. Hopefully a lot of people will be nice and leave a review? Possibly? Maybe? Okay, see you next time.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I understand you all are interested about Spencer's relationship with her family and I promise, that will be explored more, but not all at once. Flashbacks will be spread out throughout the story, so please stop asking about if Melissa and Spencer reconnect. I can't give that away. Okay, on to the next chapter.**

* * *

"Lucy, don't forget to pick up your room before Toby gets here!" Spencer shouted from behind the kitchen counter.

For most of the morning, Lucy has been sitting in front of the t.v watching movies. Spencer has tried getting her to help clean the house before Toby comes over, but she's having no luck with Lucy. Lucy did picked up one toy and put it in her room, but that's all she's done so far. Spencer's done all of the cleaning. She dusted the furniture, vacuumed the floors, cleaned her room, and the bathroom. She started cleaning Lucy's room too but is leaving Lucy to pick up all her toys. Lucy has to learn to pick up after herself.

"But mommy," Lucy rolled over on the couch so she's resting on her stomach. "I can't pick up my room."

"And why not?"

"Because, I'm not strong enough to pick up my room."

"No," Spencer had to laugh. She comes over to kneel down in front of Lucy. "I don't mean you have to literally pick up your room. I just mean you need to pick up your toys off the floor in your room and put them away."

"Oh, I can do that!"

Lucy jumped right up and ran down the hallway to her bedroom. After she disappeared from the room, Spencer went back into the kitchen to put on a fresh pot of coffee. After she got the coffee pot going, there was a knock on the door. Spencer dropped what she was doing and ran to answer it. Before answering the door, she stopped with her hand on the doorknob, fixed her hair, took a deep breath then, answered the door.

"Hi."

Toby stood out in the hall with a pleasant smile on his face. He's wearing a dark blue button-up shirt with dark blue jeans, along with his police jacket. She smiled back.

"Hey, come on in."

She steps to the side to let him in then shuts the door. Toby looks around the room and notices how tidy the place looks. It smells like coffee and cinnamon buns. The movie 'Frozen' was paused on the t.v screen. That must've been what Lucy was watching before he arrived.

"Where's Lucy?" He asked.

"She's in her room picking up her toys. Lucy, Toby's here!" Spencer called down the hall.

Not even a second later, Lucy came running out of her room, down the hall. When she stepped into the room, the two busted out laughing at what Lucy is wearing. Lucy came out wearing her favorite sundress, but it's on backward. She has one pair of Spencer's heels, her purse, and has a bit too much makeup on her face. It looks like Lucy tried doing her hair in a high ponytail.

"I'm ready!" She grinned.

"Lucy," Spencer giggled. "What are you doing?"

"Mommy, I'm ready for my play date with Toby."

"Why are you dressed like that?"

"This is how you dressed on your play date with Toby, remember?"

"Yeah," Spencer smiled and nodded. "I did, but my play date with Toby was different. You're too young to be wearing all of this."

"Wait," Lucy's face fell. "I'm confused. Am I on a play date with you and Toby or not?"

"You are," Spencer nodded. "But like I said, this is different. On these kinds of playdates, we play games."

"What kind of games?"

"Whatever you want to play as long as Toby's up for it. Why don't you suggest a game to Toby and see if he wants to play."

"Okay!" Lucy ran over to Toby. "My favorite game is to play dress up! Will you play dress up with me?"

Toby smiled and nodded, "sure."

"Okay!" Lucy jumped right up and started running towards her room. "I'll go get my dress up clothes!"

Toby looks at Spencer, "she seems like a handful."

She laughed, "you have no idea. I made coffee if you want some. You might need it if you want to keep up with this child."

"I would love a cup."

She lead the way over to the kitchen counter and walked behind it to retrieve the pot from its place. There's already two mugs out on the counter ready to be filled with that hot liquid. Toby stood on the other side of the counter and put his knuckles on the counter top.

"The coffee still needs a minute," she said turning to look at him.

After the events that happened yesterday, she still felt pretty embarrassed. Knowing that Toby knows all the things her friends said thanks to her lovely daughter. Hanna didn't help things much by saying those things out loud with their children sitting right beside them. Toby probably thinks Spencer's a freak even if she didn't really say all of those things. She may have thought two out of three of those things, but she didn't say them. Toby didn't seem awkward at all, which surprised her. Most men would run for cover after hearing that a woman was having those thoughts.

She knows it wasn't Lucy's fault. When they got home after being at the park, Spencer had a talk with Lucy about repeating what somebody says to other people. Lucy didn't know what she was saying, but that doesn't make the situation any less embarrassing than it is. Spencer could've died the other day. Toby put on a brave face listening to all the things Lucy told him. His face flushed a bit, but he still remained calm. He must've understood that kids say the darndest things. That still doesn't mean Spencer shouldn't apologize for what he heard.

"Listen, Toby," she spoke, brushing her brown hair back. "I uh...I want to apologize for what happened yesterday. You know after what Lucy said. She got all those things from someone else. My friends are some crazy people and Lucy must've overheard them saying all that."

Toby chuckled, "yeah, I figured. I take it they like to tease you."

"Yes, they do. Whenever they hear me mention a man that I've been in contact with, they tend to get all these crazy ideas. They live to embarrass me."

"That's not surprising. That's what a lot of friends live for. They wouldn't be our friends if they didn't embarrass us."

Spencer nodded, "I guess that's true. Does any of your friends at the station give you a hard time about us? Oh...Uh, I mean, have they ever given you a hard time over any girl?"

 _Toby wished he didn't have to leave this woman and her daughter alone so soon after being put in danger. He wished he could've stayed longer, but his boss really wants to see him. He knows Tanner wasn't thrilled about the way he handled things together. What else was he supposed to do? He couldn't just stand there and let that guy kill that girl. It would've been on them if he knew the police could've done something to stop those guys. He was not about to let that woman get killed or anybody else in that place._

 _When he got back to the station, everybody looked at him while walking by. A few officers tipped their hat towards him as a sign of respect. Other people looked at him like he was insane. He reaches the end of the hallway where Tanner's office is. Should he go in or wait to be called in? He decides to knock gently on the door._

" _Come in," Tanner said._

 _Toby took a deep breath and twisted the doorknob. He walked into her office and Tanner sat behind her desk busy at work with something. She has a pen in her hand and is writing something down on paper. Hopefully, she doesn't suspend him or fire him._

" _Ah, Toby," she peeks up from her glasses. "Please, have a seat. I'll get to you in a minute."_

 _With his hands on his knees, he glides right over and sits on the chair in front of her desk. He sat there for what seemed like forever just watching her writing on her form. Does he dare try to peek and see what she's doing? As far as he can tell, his name Isn't on that sheet. Maybe she Isn't writing a report about him. Well, not yet anyway. Finally, she set down her pen, crossed her arms over her desktop, and stared at him with a stern expression pinched on her face._

" _Look," he didn't wait for her to say anything before speaking up in his own defense. "I know what you're going to say. You gave me a brief summary of it at the bank today. I know I put my team in jeopardy today, but I also saved the lives of innocent people. That's got to count for something."_

" _It would if you didn't let your feelings get in the way of the right process to save someone," Tanner said._

" _What are you talking about?"_

 _Tanner looked at him like it was obvious, "you didn't step in to save just anyone. You did it for a woman. A young, single woman. You may have seen it as an act of bravery and doing your job, but the rest of us saw it as an act to impress."_

" _What?" Toby was baffled. "You think that I put my life on the line to impress her? With all due respect, ma'am, that's a very stupid thing for you to think. That woman had a little girl with her. For that little girl to see her mother shot right in front of her, she would've never recovered. I saved a life today because it was the right thing to do. I didn't do it to impress anybody."_

" _If you keep telling yourself that, Cavanaugh, you just might believe it," Tanner smiled._

 _Toby shook his head and frowned, "this Isn't funny."_

" _I agree," she said, nodding. "It wasn't funny for you to put my team in danger today. You almost got yourself and officer Lorenzo killed."_

" _So, what was I supposed to do? Was just supposed to let those guys kill everyone in the room?"_

" _No," she said sternly. "I need you to not let your feelings get in the way of doing your job. I had you recruited to Rosewood P.D because you graduated top of your class. I was told you're a great officer. I need you to be that here. As long as you are on this team, you will follow my orders. Is that understood?" Toby wanted to argue but nodded._

" _Good," Tanner said. "You're dismissed."_

 _Toby stood up and moved forward towards the door. He reached out and put his hand on the knob ready to open it. Before he did, he turned back to look at Tanner._

" _Ma'am," he said, and she snapped her head up. "I want to apologize for almost costing your team their lives. That's something I will apologize for. However, one thing I will never apologize for is saving the life of a mother and a daughter. You're right, I am a great officer and there are plenty of other that would be honored to have a brave officer like me on their team. Think about that the next time you cross me about saving a life, because if I had a choice, I'd do it again."_

 _As soon as Toby stepped out of Tanner's office, he noticed everyone quickly look away from the door. They must've been eavesdropping. Officer Peterson, Officer Rob, and Officer Barry walked over to him. All three of them were snickering._

" _So, Cavanaugh," Rob snickered. "Tell us what happened after you left the bank this afternoon."_

 _Toby rolled his eyes, "what do you mean?"_

" _You followed that lady home," Barry added, smirking. "Did she invite you back to her place so she could thank you personally?"_

" _I don't know what you're talking about."_

 _Rob smiled, "you totally did it with her. I guess that's the price you've earned for being a dumbass."_

 _Toby's faced turned red, "I didn't sleep with her. I just made sure she and her daughter felt safe enough to be home alone. I wasn't at her home for more than twenty minutes."_

" _Twenty minutes is all it takes."_

" _Could you guys like grow up, please," he snapped._

 _The three officers continued to tease him about going back with Spencer to her place. Toby rolled his eyes and walked away from them. When are people going to get it through their heads that he saved a woman's life for a good reason? He didn't do it to get some action in return or glory. He did it because that's his job and it was the right thing to do._

Toby thought about Spencer's question and wondered if he should tell her about what happened at the station. He decided not to.

He shakes his head and says, "no, they haven't. Some officers question my choice of actions, but I just think they're being like that because they weren't as brave."

"I don't understand why anyone would have a problem with you wanting to save someone. Isn't that supposed to be their job? The Rosewood P.D," she stopped to grab the coffee pot. "The Rosewood P.D has been filled with corrupt officers for as long as I've been living in this town. It's nice having one officer inside who actually cares about the people."

"Being an officer has nothing to do with me caring for someone. I probably would've done it even if I wasn't a cop. If I happened to be a hostage during that situation, I still would've done what I did."

"Why?" she whispered quietly. "Why risk your life for someone you've never even met?"

"I don't know," he admitted, shrugging then looks at her. "I just couldn't let you die."

While pouring the coffee into one of the cups, Spencer looked at him. She must've miscalculated the distance between the pot and the mug. The coffee poured out of the pot, but instead of landing inside the mug, it splattered all over her hand. Spencer winced in pain when the boiling hot liquid made contact with the skin on her hand. She hisses and quickly sets the pot down on the counter. Toby shoots into action and is by her side with a cool rag in an instant. She hisses again at the burning sensation on her hand. Toby holds her hand gently and pressed the rag to the red mark on her hand. The coldness worked fast to relieve the pain and it didn't take long for that burning feeling to subside. It still stings a little, but not as much.

She inhaled deeply and almost forgot to exhale when her eyes met his. Their faces are so close right now that their noses are practically touching. His eyes remained focused on hers and she could feel his breath on her lips. He made an effort to move in, but right as he did so, they were once again interrupted.

"I'm ready!" Lucy chimed, walking into the kitchen.

Toby used all of his strength to hold back a curse word or two. He sighed and turned around to look at the young girl. Spencer too seemed a bit disappointed that they were interrupted. Their looks of disappointment were replaced with a wide grin on both of their faces. Lucy appeared wearing her little blue Elsa dress. Her brown hair is no longer up. Instead, it's down in smooth waves.

"Wow," Toby turned to fully look at Lucy. "You make a beautiful princess."

Lucy put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes, "Elsa's not a princess, Toby she's a queen."

"Oh," Toby bowed towards her. "My mistake my queen."

Spencer pressed three fingers to her lips and giggled. Her daughter can be quite the sass queen when she needs to. Most of the time she's sassy, but other times she's a sweetheart.

"Mommy you can be Anna and Toby can be Kristoff. We can play hide and go seek while in character," Lucy explained. "I'll hide and you two find me."

"Alright," Toby agreed. "What are we counting to?"

"Count to twenty while I hide," Lucy points at Toby and says, "and no peeking!"

He holds up his hand and says, "I promise not to peek."

"Okay! Start counting!"

Spencer and Toby sit at the kitchen counter and cover their eyes while counting to twenty. All they heard was the sound of Lucy's feet pitter-pattering around the apartment. Occasionally they would hear her giggling, which made them smile. After twenty seconds, they dropped their hands from over their eyes and got ready to look for Lucy.

"Ready or not here we come!" Spencer shouted.

"Any ideas on where she's hiding?" Toby whispered.

"She's hiding where she always hides. In the closet in her room, under the bed."

Toby nodded in understanding. The two tip-toed down the hall to the bathroom and pretended to be checking in there. Next, they went to Spencer's room to check her closet. When they didn't find her in there, they headed towards Lucy's room.

"Well, Toby," Spencer spoke loud enough so Lucy could hear. "It looks like she's not in here."

"If she's not in here, where could she be?" Toby asked, playing along.

"Maybe she left. Since she seemed to disappear, I guess we should just walk away."

"Wait!" A small voice came from under the little girls bed. They turned around to see two tiny legs sticking out. Lucy crawled out from under the bed and stood up. She spread out her arms and said.

"I'm right here!"

"Oh, there you are!" Spencer exclaimed. "We were so worried that we wouldn't ever find you. You're so good at this game."

"You two need to work on finding me," Lucy said with a small nod.

"Hey, Toby, what's that?" Spencer asked, pretending to be pointing at something on Lucy's stomach."

Toby looked closer, "hmm I don't know."

"What?" Lucy looked down. "Is there something on my tummy?"

"Yeah," Spencer nodded. "There's a spot right there."

"What spot?"

Spencer held Lucy while looking at Toby, "Toby would you mind getting Lucy's tickle spot on her tummy for me?"

Lucy laughed out when Toby started tickling her stomach. Spencer laughed while Lucy twisted and turned in her lap trying to escape the tickles. Spencer tickled her sides a bit to add to the laughter.

"Stop," Lucy giggled.

They stopped tickling her and allowed Lucy to calm down on Spencer's lap.

"That was a mean trick mommy."

"I'm sorry, baby," Spencer kissed the side of her head.

"Can we watch Frozen now?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know, it's almost eleven and I think Toby has to get to work soon."

Toby frowned sadly, "unfortunately, I do, but I wouldn't mind coming back for a second date this weekend to watch Frozen."

"Really?" Lucy perked up.

Toby nodded, "if it's okay with your mother."

Lucy snapped her head in Spencer's direction, "can he mommy?"

Spencer smiled and nodded, "of course he can."

The three of them walked out of Lucy's room and down the hall toward the door. Lucy sat down at the kitchen table and began coloring. Spencer stood by the door with Toby so they could have a word in private.

"I guess I'll see you this weekend," Toby said.

Spencer smiled, "yeah, I can't wait."

He looked at her teasingly and said, "I guess I really should've brought ice with me since I actually did make you hot."

She laughed and shoved his chest playfully, "shut up."

He chuckled, "today was fun."

"Yeah," Spencer agreed. "It was."

"I should go."

"Right."

She opened the door for him while he put on his jacket. Before walking out, he debated on whether now would be a good time to kiss her. He figured not right now since her daughter is sitting at the table not too far away. He settled on kissing her cheek which made Spencer blush. He smiles at her once last time before walking out. Spencer shuts the door behind him, leans back against it with a smile on her face. What is it about that boy that has her so worked up?

* * *

 **Okay, the ending wasn't too great. Mostly because I was ready to just end this chapter haha. I hope you enjoyed their little play date. There will be more Spencer, Toby, and Lucy's scenes. Let's take a minute to say poor Toby. Will he ever get a chance to kiss Spencer? Keep reading to find out. Please, don't forget to review. (:**


	8. Chapter 8

**Apologies in advance for this slightly short chapter. It seemed longer when I was typing it.**

* * *

Late nights at the stations are killers. There are times where Toby goes in at around 1 o'clock in the afternoon and stays until midnight. Sometimes even after midnight. On a late Tuesday, into early Wednesday, Toby finally got off at 1 am. Driving home was easy. Considering that it's late in a small town and not many people are out on the streets. When he got to his house, he could hear Sampson barking from the inside. Sam always does that when he gets home. Toby shook his head and chuckled before hopping out of his car.

It's a little foggy out here tonight. Not so much to where you can't see where you're going, but enough that you would notice it. If it keeps up like this, it could get really foggy when he wakes up later in the morning. Sampson started running around in circles and wagged his tail like crazy when he came in. Poor guy is probably hungry since Toby hasn't been able to feed him since at around noon. After taking off his jacket, and setting his keys on the kitchen counter, he got right to putting food in Sampson's dish. Sampson stopped barking and hungrily ate away at his food.

Sighing, Toby heads to his bedroom to change into something more comfortable. He's too damn tired right now to do much of anything. Should he eat something before going to bed or shower? Neither. He ate at the station a few hours ago and he can shower when he wakes up. Toby slips into his pajama bottoms and takes off his shirt. Sleeping without a shirt is a lot more comfortable than having one on. Especially after being at work for most of the day. On nights when it's freezing cold out, he'll put on a thin, long sleeve shirt. Tonight is just going to have to be one of those nights with no shirt on. Toby lays his head down on the pillow and is instantly out like a light.

The next morning, Toby was awakened by something jumping up on the bed and licking his face. He pulled his face back and hid underneath the blanket. His breathing space smelled of dog breath. Sampson used the tip of his little, black nose to try poking his head under the blanket.

"Alright," Toby fused. "Alright, I'm coming."

Sampson hops off the bed and runs down the hall. Toby sat up in his bed, running his hands down his face. When he looked at the clock on his bedside table, he saw it's almost 9 o'clock in the morning. He doesn't have work for another two hours. Sampson ran back to the bedroom doorway, barking twice. Toby finally got out of bed and walked him to the back door to let him out back in order for Sampson to take care of his business. While Sampson was out back, Toby took this time to take a quick shower. As soon as he came out, he let Sam back in and gave him breakfast.

After breakfast, Toby took Sam for a walk around the park. Part of him hoped he would see Spencer and Lucy out. Sadly, he didn't see either one of them. Spencer probably had to get Lucy to daycare then get herself to work. He hasn't had the chance to really see Spencer since their little play date with Lucy. She's called a couple times, but never made plans to hang out. Both have been busy with work and stuff concerning Lucy. Hopefully, this weekend they can do something.

At eleven, Toby left for work and got there in under ten minutes. Some of the officers stood in the break room when they mentioned the dinner for all the policemen and women in the department. This is the first time Toby's hearing about it.

"Hey, Toby," Lorenzo came over, nudging his shoulder. "You should be proud of yourself."

"Proud of what?" He asked while pouring some coffee into a paper cup.

"For this dinner on Friday."

"Oh, for the department. I'm not sure if I'm going to that."

Lorenzo looked at him, "what do you mean you're not going? Why wouldn't you go to it?"

"Why should I go? Most of these guys don't even like me."

"Dude," Lorenzo chuckled. "The dinner on Friday is to honor your bravery. Well, everyone who was there at the time of the bank robbery, but it's mostly for you."

"Really?" Toby asked, shocked. "Everybody hates me for what I did, though."

"They don't hate you for what you did, they just hate you because they didn't think to do what you did. You should go to that dinner on Friday, Toby," Lorenzo bumped his shoulder. "You deserve it. Even if you did act like a fool."

"What about you? You came into the bank with me."

"Yeah, I know. Like I said, all the people who were on duty at the robbery are getting honored. The only problem is, everyone is required to bring a partner. Barry's bringing his wife and daughter. Scott's bringing his sister. I'm bringing my fiance, Morgan. Maybe you should as Spencer to come."

"Spencer," Toby acted surprised. "Why...Why would I want to ask her?"

"Man, come on," he said like it was obvious.

Toby sighs, "I would ask her, but what if she's not interested?"

"Why wouldn't she be interested with going with the brave man who risked his life for her?"

Toby rolled his eyes, "well, I'm not going to guilt her into going. That's not fair."

"Who said anything about guilting? You like her and if she likes you back, she won't go because she feels obligated to. She'll go because she wants to. Just ask her. The worse thing she'll do is say she can't go."

* * *

"Okay, two turkey burgers one with fries and the other with onion rings. Next, two orders of shooters with fries for the kids. Lastly, a veggie burger. That comes as a total of $17.96."

"Thank you, Sabrina," Spencer said after handing her a twenty.

Sabrina smiled at the kids then walked away to get back to work. After getting off of work this afternoon, she took Lucy to have an early dinner with her aunt Hanna and Aria along with their kids. They went to one of the well known restraints in Rosewood called the Applerose Grill.

"Caleb is getting ready to leave for New York tomorrow. He has some wiring he needs to do for a company there," Hanna said.

"Didn't he just get back from an assignment?" Aria asked.

Hanna sighed, "well, that's his job. He travels to different cities to help with technology problems Last month he was in Washington D.C for almost a week."

"What was he doing there?" Spencer asked.

"He was helping the FBI download some new software. He does a lot of work for law enforcement branches. Great pay, but bad hours."

"I wonder if he's ever worked with the Rosewood P.D," Aria said.

"Oh, he has. Lots of times. Actually, that's where he does most of his work. Earlier this year he helped the cops track down Bryan Gunther who has been a wanted criminal in the state of PA since 2011."

"Wow," Spencer said. "He must be good."

"Caleb's amazing," Hanna smiled. "Since Caleb does a lot of work for the Rosewood P.D, maybe he and Toby will bump into each other. It would be so cool if those two formed like a nice little bromance."

"By the way," Aria spoke up. "How is Toby? You haven't talked about him in awhile. Are you still seeing him?"

"Whether I'm seeing him or not has never been official," Spencer sighed. "Besides, I can't talk about this stuff in front of the K-I-D-S. The last time we did that, I ended up dying from embarrassment after Lucy overheard some of Hanna's lovely choice of words." Spencer glared at Hanna and she just smiled and shrugged.

"Mommy, when will we see Toby again?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know sweetie," Spencer brushed the little curls of hair out of her face. "Our schedules just haven't worked out yet."

"Do you have an idea on when?"

"Soon, I hope."

"Sounds like Spencer's ready for some action," Hanna whispered into her empty cup of ice tea.

"Spence, why don't I take the kids back to wash their hands. I think Layla needs to be changed," Aria offered.

"Okay."

"Come on troops."

Aria took Layla out of her highchair then walked with the other two little ones towards the bathroom. When they left the table, Hanna folded her hands over the tabletop and looked at Spencer. Spencer shrugged and mouthed, "what?" Hanna tilted her head at her like it was obvious.

"You know what. How come you haven't seen Toby in the last few days?"

"I already said our schedules just haven't crossed yet."

"Well, do you want to see him?"

"Of course I do, but," she sighed. "It's complicated. What if Toby's just not interested anymore?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, I'm thinking it could something to do with the fact that he now knows what my crazy friends assume when we're together."

Hanna smiled, "we were just teasing. He understands that. All friends tease each other about the people we like. Maybe Toby is waiting for you to reach out to him this time. Before, you always waited for the guy to call back. Don't make the same mistake with Toby. I have a feeling that this one could be different."

Before Spencer had a chance to respond, Aria came back with the kids. She stood up and grabbed Lucy's hand so they could go. Aria left a $5 tip on the table. The three girls agreed to meet up soon then parted ways. Spencer helped Lucy get into her car seat before getting in the driver's seat and starting up the car.

When they got back to the apartment, Lucy was half asleep. Spencer carried her inside to her bedroom. It's only 6 o'clock and Lucy still has to take her bath. Lucy woke up just as Spencer was setting her down in her bed. While Lucy picked out her favorite pajamas, Spencer started running the water in the tub.

"Mommy, can Frank play in the tub with me?"

"Sure, honey."

Frank is Lucy's plastic toy turtle. She got it from the zoo gift shop this summer. If you put the turtle in water, it will start swimming around. Lucy loves to play with it in the bathtub. That along with her other little toys she has in the bathroom. Spencer helped wash Lucy's hair, but Lucy did the rest of her washing on her own. Lucy likes to be very independent when she can be and Spencer respects that. After her bath, Lucy put on her pajamas then ran into her bedroom waiting for her mom to read a bedtime story. Just like she does every night. Tonight's bedtime story was 'Goldilocks and The Three Bears.'

When Spencer read the last page of the story, Lucy was already fast asleep. She slipped quietly out of Lucy's room and down the hall. She put on a pair of pajama bottoms and a black tank top. Then, grabbed a carton of ice cream out of the freezer and a spoon, and sat on the couch. She turned on the television to see if there's anything good on. At the end of watching 'The Notebook,' her phone started ringing. She tried her eyes with her sleeve and sniffled before answering her cell. There's just something about this movie that always has her in tears.

"Hello?"

"Spencer," Toby's voice spoke up on the other end.

"Toby," Spencer sniffled again trying to clear her nose. "Hey."

"Hi, are you alright? You sound like you've been crying."

"Yeah, I'm fine," she chuckled. "I just got done watching a sad movie."

"Oh, which one?"

"The Notebook."

"Aw, I've seen that a few times."

Spencer smiled in amusement, "wow."

"What?"

"Nothing, I just never heard a man admit to watching movies like that."

He laughed, "well, I'm not ashamed to admit that I watch a few romance movies every now and then. I've even watched Titanic."

"Wow, I'm impressed. Guess we'll totally have to get together sometimes to watch movies together or something."

"I'd like that," he said.

"I'd like that too."

"So, is Lucy still up or is she asleep?"

Spencer leaned her head back on the couch to stare down the hall at Lucy's door, "she's off to dreamland as far as I'm concerned. At least, she was when I checked on her about twenty minutes ago."

"Good. It's good she's getting her sleep."

"Yeah."

"So, listen," Toby started nervously. "On Friday night the town is hosting a dinner party to honor all the officers who were there the day of that bank robbery. Being one of those officers I'm sort of required to go. My colleagues are bringing a partner with them. Like Chuck is bringing his mom. Lorenzo's bringing his fiance. Since they're all bringing someone I was thinking, "hey, why not ask a good friend of mine to tag along?" I mean, that is if that friend doesn't already have plans. You don't even have to go. I just thought I'd bring it up. You know what? Forget I said anything."

"I'd love to go," she cut him off mid-sentence.

He felt his heart rate slowing down a bit as he managed to calm down after hearing her say that. As if it would help, he put a hand on his chest.

"Really? Are you sure? You don't have to go with me. I don't want you feeling like you have to be there."

"No, I want to. The towns going to honor you for being brave that's awesome. Of course, I want to be there. What time is?"

"The dinner starts at 8, so I'd have to pick you up at a quarter till then."

"Alright," she nodded

"Look, I appreciate you agreeing to go, but you know you don't have to. This dinner is really not a big deal."

"Shut up," she laughed. "I'm happy to go with you, and I'll be sure to wear something with a little extra spice just to make those other guys wish they could be you."

He chuckled nervously, "okay. If you're really sure."

"I am sure."

"Okay, so I'll pick you up at a quarter till 8."

"Okay," she smiled. "See you then."

"See you then, Bye."

After hanging up her cell, Spencer grabbed the nearest pillow and buried her face into it grinning hard. She's not sure why, but she just feels so damn happy. She's finally going to get some time alone with Toby. Hanna's going to have a mouthful to say when she hears about this.

* * *

 **It looks like Toby and Spencer are going on another date. Well, it's sort of like a date. Any ideas on how the nights going to go? Hopefully, Lucy won't get sick and they won't have to cut the night short for some reason. Thank you for reading. Also, I notice how close I am to 100 reviews after only being on chapter 7! Thank you so much! Hopefully, this one gets me to 100. You guys are just awesome!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Hey, Lucy, can you come here for a second?"

There was a short pause before the sound of footsteps knocked against the hallway floor and into the kitchen. Lucy ran in and came to a complete stop beside the kitchen counter. She was confused when she saw her mother sitting at the table with a plate of brownies. She slowly walked towards the table and stood there for a second.

"Mommy, what's this?"

"Brownies," Spencer said, with a smile. "Come sit down. We should talk."

"Am I in trouble?"

"No, just want to have a nice mother, daughter talk."

"Okay."

Lucy scooted out a chair, climbed up on it, and sat Criss-crossed. She folded her arms on the table and eyed her mother curiously.

"Luce, do remember when I told you about Toby and I having a date?" Lucy nodded. "Well, that is what I want to talk to you about."

"Are you and Toby going on another play date?"

Spencer smiled and nodded, "yeah, we are. Tomorrow night, Toby invited me to this dinner that means a lot to him. Believe me, sweetie if I could, I would bring you along with me, but I can't. You understand that, right?"

"Right."

"Okay, so I was thinking it might be nice if you spent the night at your Aunt Hanna's and Uncle Caleb's house. Would that be okay with you?"

Lucy nodded, "yeah. Mommy, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, honey. You can ask me anything."

"Is Toby your boyfriend?"

"No," Spencer laughed. "I think we're just friends."

"If he's a boy who's your friend, wouldn't that make him your boyfriend?"

Spencer curled her lip and nodded once, "in a way, I guess. It's not like how Caleb was Hanna's boyfriend before they got married. It's different with me and Toby."

"I wish Toby was your boyfriend," she admitted.

"You do?" Lucy nodded. "Why?"

Lucy shrugged, "because Toby seems to make you smile a lot. Aunt Aria told me that Uncle Ezra used to make her smile a lot when they were young."

"Yeah," Spencer smiled softly. "Toby does have a way with making me happy."

"And if there's anybody who can make my mommy happy, he should be your boyfriend."

"Yeah, I suppose."

Lucy looked around the room for a second before asking, "may I have a brownie now?"

Spencer laughed, "yes."

* * *

Tonight, Spencer is going to dinner with Toby. He'll be here to pick her up in under four hours. Though it may seem like a lot of time to get ready, it's not for a girl. She still hasn't decided on what to wear to the dinner. She told Toby on the phone she would wear something extra spicy as a joke. Now, she's thinking maybe something spicy would look good on her, but what? What should she wear?

Normally, her friends would help her out with this, but they're not here. Hanna already came by to pick up Lucy. Plus, picking out good outfits for a date is something she needs to learn to do on her own. Her friends can't always be there to pick out her clothes and do her hair. No matter how much she may need it. Spencer Hastings is an independent woman dammit. She can pick out her own outfit to wear on her date.

She looked through each of her dresser drawers and scanned her closet for something good. She does have a few dresses that might look good on her. In the very back of her closet, her hand stumbled upon a red slimming panel tea dress. When she touched the material of the dress, she froze. Then, after rubbing it between her thumb and pointer finger, she pulled it out of her closet. This used to be her favorite evening dress. She remembers the first time she put it on. Now, looking back, she wishes she never even bought the ridiculous thing.

* * *

 _Loud music pounded Spencer's brain as she stood outside of one of the largest clubs in Europe. She and a few girls she met on the trip went shopping this afternoon. They went out and each of them bought some smoking hot dresses. Karen, who is a friend of Spencer's, suggested they all wear their dresses and sneak into a club. Lauren, who is another friend of Spencer's, was able to scoop out the hottest club in town._

" _I can't believe we're about to get into one of the hottest clubs in town," Karen squealed._

" _And thank god we're in Europe because all of us are the legal drinking age," Lauren added._

" _It's great being eighteen," Karen grinned._

" _Maybe for you," Lauren teased. "I'm nineteen."_

" _Guys we're next," Spencer whispered._

 _Karen did a little mini clap, "alright ladies, let's go make some memories."_

 _The three of them slipped in through the side door and cut their way through the crowd. Tons of people are here tonight. Everybody looks like they're having a good time. The music's not too great, but it's not completely terrible. Lauren pointed out the bar and they made their way. The three of them took a seat on each of the stools and ordered their drinks._

 _As the hours ticked by, Spencer's friends each got swept away by some guy off to the dance floor. Spencer's been sitting here drinking beer after beer waiting for this night to end. If her parents knew that this was how she was spending her time in Europe, they would be so pissed. Oh well. They didn't seem pleased when she told them about her plans to study in Europe and work. When Melissa made plans to work in Europe, everyone was thrilled. Spencer can still remember the fight she had with her parents at that dinner just a few weeks ago._

" _Excuse me, miss," a sweet, man with a British accent caught her attention._

 _Spencer turned in her stole. Her mouth dropped when she saw the man's face. She's seen this man before. She saw her back in her own hometown just a few weeks ago. Twas the night she had a fight with her parents at dinner._

" _Hey," she smiled. "Small world, I wasn't expecting to see you here or ever again."_

" _Well, this is where I'm from," he smirked. "I'm surprised seeing you here. I'm beginning to think you're following me."_

" _No, I'm just here for a good time with my friends."_

" _Ah, do you mind if I sit?"_

 _She shook her head, "not at all."_

 _The night started out with them having a peaceful conversation over a few beers. This guy seemed totally nice and innocent. He told a lot of jokes that made Spencer laugh. He told stories that seemed too extreme to be real, but he swears they really happened. This guy just seemed perfect. Spencer couldn't seem to keep her mind focused on anything other than the 'fine British boy' in front of her. Towards the end of the night, when the guy leaned in to kiss her, all of Spencer's thinking process went right out the window._

* * *

Spencer played with the dress for a long time before taking it between her two hands. Using all her strength, she ripped the dress in half then threw it in the garbage can. Why did she think keeping that dress was a good idea? Maybe it was a reminder of who she needs to stay clear of. Then again, who really wants an everyday reminder of your past mistakes? The only good thing that came out of that night was Lucy. She just wishes it could've been with someone else who really did care about her. Not just herself, but Lucy too.

She looked through her closet some more and finally found the perfect dress to wear. Spencer picked a black seamed sheath dress with black pumps. She curled her hair in thick curls and coated her eye's with black eyeliner and mascara, Normally she tries not to wear too much makeup, but on nights like these, she wants to look extra good.

As expected, Toby knocked on her door right when he said he'd be here. Spencer finished getting ready a few minutes ago but kept looking at herself in the mirror. She wondered if there was anything else she could do to make herself really stand out. After hearing Toby knock a second time, she ran to the door and opened it. Of course, Toby showed up looking handsome as hell in his suit and tie. His hair is pushed up and back in a hot hair style. His left hand is down by his side and he removes his right hand behind his back and presents her with a single white rose.

"Hey, beautiful," he smiled.

She smiled and reached out to accept the rose. On past dates, men don't normally bring her flowers. A couple men did, but they were always the dead looking red roses. Spencer likes red roses, but she prefers white. How did Toby know she liked white roses? Maybe it had something to do with the painting of the vase of white roses in her living room.

"Thank you," she finally thanked him for the rose.

She invited him inside for a bit after Toby noted they still have a few minutes before the dinner starts. He waited while Spencer looked for a vase to put her rose in. She wants it to last long and stay healthy. Like this relationship, that's clearly blooming between Toby and herself. Toby recommended bringing a jacket since it's a little chilly outside. Spencer insisted she would be fine. Really, she was hoping that if she did get cold, Toby would give her his suit jacket to wear. She knows it's a bit silly not to bring her own jacket, but there's just something so sweet about a man offering his jacket to a woman. She grabbed her purse off the counter and made sure her phone was in there. Just in case, Hanna or Caleb needed to get a hold of her.

Toby walked Spencer to the car and opened the door for her before getting in on the driver's side. The drive to the dining hall took less than ten minutes. Where they're going is right here in Rosewood. Again, Toby opened Spencer's door for her when they got out. She sent him a sweet smile when he took her hand and lead the way.

When they entered the main room, the room was dimly lit with lanterns sitting in the middle of each of the tables. Spencer linked her arm with Toby's as they walked through the crowd of men and women. Toby noticed how some of his fellow workmates kept eyeing Spencer up and down. Seeing those guys fawning over her gave him a strange pang of jealousy. He moved closer to her hoping to send a message to those other guys.

"Did I tell you how amazing you look tonight?" He said to her.

She smiled, "I think you've mentioned it on the way here."

"I can't express it enough. You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she grinned, giving his cheek a little peck with her lips. "You look good yourself."

As they were walking to one of the tables, they were approached by Officer Brandon and Barry. Scott is one of the officers who's not a big fan of what he did in the shooting. He claims it was stupidity, but Lorenzo assured him Scott was just jealous.

"Cavanaugh," Brandon greeted him. "What a pleasant surprise. Everyone at the station was placing bets on whether you would come tonight. I owe Barry $30."

"This is a dinner for all the officers, so of course I came."

"And you brought a date. Aren't you going to introduce us to the lady?"

Toby looked at Spencer then back at them, "yeah, this is Spencer. Spencer these are my co-workers Brandon and Barry."

"Hi," Spencer shook each of their hands.

"You're very lucky, miss," Barry said. "To have someone who's willing to put their life on the line for you."

Spencer wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a compliment or a jab at what Toby did. Based on their body language, and sarcastic tones, she's guessing they're just over here to give Toby a hard time. These bastards don't appreciate good workers when they see one.

"Maybe you two can learn a thing or two from Toby. Instead of standing there wetting your pants, maybe you should try doing your job next time," Spencer replied.

"Wow," Brandon chuckled. "Kittens got claws."

Spencer glared at the two men and opened her mouth to say something snarky back. Toby placed a hand on her shoulder and she closed her mouth.

"We're just going to go find our table now," Toby said. "I'll see you guys later."

Toby took Spencer's hand and they continued walking. They reached their table and Toby pulled out a chair for Spencer. She thanked him before checking her phone to see if she missed any calls. No calls were made so far. Toby sat beside her. They were soon accompanied by Lorenzo and his fiance. Toby introduced Spencer to Lorenzo then, Lorenzo introduced his fiancee to the pair. The four of them fell easily into a conversation.

"I'm very pleased that I'm finally getting the pleasure to meet you, Spencer," Lorenzo said, "Toby's told me a lot about you."

"Has he?" Spencer shot Toby a teasing smile.

Toby blushed, "It's possible I may have mentioned you a few times."

She smiled, "how sweet."

Towards the middle of the night, Tanner stood up and gave a speech about the officers. She praised them on how good of a job they did. Spencer smiled a lot when Tanner talked about one of their bravest officers.

"Before I end things tonight," Tanner spoke. "I want to take just a few minutes to honor one of our own officers. This person was very brave and stood beside his fellow officers. He did what he had to do to save the life of everyone in that bank. I am so proud to have this officer on my team serving for our town. Ladies and gentlemen, I present this bravery award to… Officer Brandon."

Everyone in the room started clapping expect for the ones sitting at Toby's table. Toby was stunned that Tanner called on Brandon. Although, he didn't look nearly as upset as Spencer did.

Tanner went on," Brandon walked into the bank with a couple other officers. This man took great risks to help everyone who was in the bank that day. If it weren't for him, everybody would've died that day. Thank you, Brandon, for your bravery."

Brandon walked up to the stage and accepted his award from Tanner. When he walked back to his table, Brandon sent a smug look in Toby's direction. Brandon walked off stage after receiving his award then, took his seat. Tanner didn't say anything after that. Instead, she walked off the stage and took a seat.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Spencer whispered.

Toby placed a hand over hers, "it's okay."

"No, it's not okay. He's not the one who saved everyone."

"But, he was there," Toby clarified.

"I don't understand. I thought this dinner was about you."

"It's for all the officers who were there."

"You should've been the one to receive that award. You're the one who risked your life to save everyone. You and Lorenzo both did."

"Hey," he brushed her hair back. "Just you being alive and okay is reward enough."

"I just hate how you were completely robbed tonight."

"I'm really sorry about this," Lorenzo said. "They made it seem like you would get recognized."

"That's okay," Toby shrugged. "I'm not in this for the awards. I'm here to make a difference and continue protecting the lives of everyone in this town. That's what matters to me."

"I guess you're right," Spencer said.

"Hey, I should probably get you home. It's getting late and you have to get up early to get Lucy tomorrow."

"Right," Spencer started to stand up.

"It was nice meeting you, Spencer," Lorenzo said.

She smiled, "you too."

When they walked outside, the air felt bitterly cold against Spencer's bare arms. Toby noticed her shiver and took off his suit jacket to give to her. She pretended like she didn't need it, but he insisted. Now, Spencer has his jacket wrapped around her upper body. Just knowing it belongs to him is keeping her warm. They got in his car and started back to her place. Like any other date night, Toby walked her to her front door.

"Well, tonight didn't go as expected, but I still had a good time," she said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think just being able to spend time with you was enough for it to be a good time."

He chuckled nervously, "well, I knew I was fun to be around, but I didn't know I was that fun."

His thumb brushed over her pale cheek. Her skin is ice cold and he can see her breath every time she exhales. Spencer looked into his blue eyes and swore she saw a twinkle. It was like looking at the stars. She almost wanted to make a wish. How could she have anything to wish for when all she wants is standing right in front of her? Well, there is one little thing she's wishing for.

As if he was reading her mind, Toby leaned in until his lips were pressed firmly on hers. Finally, she thought as her slightly cold hands reached up to frame his face. It felt like a thousand fireworks ignited inside his chest. His heart began pounding like a race horse. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hers went around his shoulders. The kiss felt warm and comforting. It was everything they both dreamed about. Truthfully, it was even better than they dreamed about.

Even though their minds were still screaming for each other, their lungs screaming for air grew louder. Very slowly, Toby pulled away from her and rested his nose against hers. A huge smile spread across her lips and Toby's face mirrored her reaction.

"Wow," he said, breathlessly.

Spencer smiled, "I bet officer Brandon never gets rewarded this way."

Toby laughed, "that's the best award I've ever received."

She kissed him for a short second then took a step back. She thanked him for taking her out tonight then promised to call tomorrow. They said their last goodnights and even shared a short goodbye kiss before Spencer went inside with Toby's jacket still around her shoulders. Toby walked back to his car and smiled the whole way home. Spencer too couldn't stop smiling. Even when she changed out of her dress. When she lied down in her bed, that 'I just go kissed' smile never left her face. Spencer felt around on her bed with her hand until she felt Toby's jacket still sitting there. She grabbed it and held it between her arms like a little girl holding her teddy bear. She sniffed the jacket and smiled. It smells just like him. Tonight was definitely one of the best nights she's had probably her whole life.

* * *

 **Spencer and Toby finally kissed! Empathize on the finally. The night didn't go as expected, but at least, they weren't interrupted and got the whole evening together. Plus, they kissed. Who could be disappointed about that? Thank you for reading and please, don't forget to review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm sorry if this chapter is bad. I kept trying to squeeze in time to write in between spending time with family, making video edits, and doing other things. I managed to come up with a cute chapter for you guys. It involves Spencer, Lucy, and Toby together for a movie night. Enjoy. :)**

* * *

 _It's a little early in the morning to be up right now. Turns out there are other ways to be woken up other then your own alarm clock. At 6:30 in the morning, Spencer woke up to her stomach hurting really bad. At first, she thought it was cramps due to her period. Then, she suddenly felt sick. Spencer pushed the covers off of her body and ran into the bathroom. She knelt down on the bathroom floor and threw up in the white toilet. Her body shook violently at this strange reaction. After she finished, she flushed the toilet, took a deep breath, and leaned back against the bathtub. Right now, her forehead is sweating and her body aches. What is going on with her?_

 _This can't be because of her period. She got up from the bathroom floor and walked over to her little calender. By the looks of it, Spencer was supposed to start her period six days ago. She's late this month. She's never been late before. Then, a thought crossed her mind. What if she's pregnant? No, that can't be it. She only slept with one guy once in her entire life. Then again, if there's anything she learned by watching girls from her high school, it's that it only takes one time to do it. Spencer walked out of the bathroom, back to her room, and quickly got dressed. Her roommates are pretty heavy sleepers, so maybe she can run to the store real quick, get back, and take the test before they wake up,_

 _When she came back to the apartment after picking up two pregnancy test from the store, she snuck back into the bathroom. She peed on the stick then waited the suggested amount of time for the result. After a while, the timer went off and it was time to read the test. She picked up the first test and there was a pink plus sign. The other pregnancy test also had a pink plus sign. They're both positive. That means she's pregnant. Spencer cupped a hand over her mouth, fell to the floor, and started sobbing. She's not even twenty yet and she's pregnant. What on earth is she going to do? What will her parents say when they find out? When she finally wrapped her mind around it, Spencer picked up her phone and called her old friend from home._

" _Hello?"_

" _Emily…" Emily could tell that something was wrong based on the sound of her voice._

" _Spence, what's wrong.'_

" _I have some news to tell you..."_

There was a sharp knocking sound on the front door that broke Spencer from her deep sleep. She quickly removed the covers from around her body and walked to answer the door. The second she opened it, Lucy came sprinting through the door.

"Mommy!"

Spencer laughed when Lucy wrapped her tiny arms around her legs and held on. She reached down to run her hands through her daughter's hair.

"Hey, baby. Did you have fun at aunt Hanna's?"

"I sure did!" Lucy grinned up at her mother.

Just then, Hanna came in with the rest of Lucy's stuff along with her son Matthew. Based on Hanna's expression, Spencer could tell she's really tired. Hanna set Lucy's stuff on the floor by the door.

"You look great," Spencer said sarcastically.

Hanna glared, "has anyone ever told you that Lucy's a handful?"

She smiled, "I've noticed.

Hanna grumbled, "I swear, you gave that child caffeine before sending her over to me and Caleb."

Spencer laughed and shut the door behind them, "I did no such thing."

"Where you good for Hanna, Luc?" Spencer asked.

Lucy nodded, "of course I was. I'm always a good girl."

"Lucy was very good," Hanna confirmed. "She just kept us on our feet. She managed to get Matthew all hyped up whenever we tried to get him to settle down. I'm telling you, Spence those two are crazy."

"Well, they're best friends and best friends keep each other entertained."

"I guess," Hanna sighed. "Do you have any coffee made? I'll really need caffeine."

"Yes, coming right up."

After Spencer made them coffee, they sat on the couch while watching the kids play. Last night was her date with Toby and Hanna's dying to hear about. She knows she'll have to wait for Aria and Emily to get here. Thirty minutes later, Emily and Aria showed up with Layla. Aria set Layla down on the ground to let her go play with Matthew and Lucy. Then, Aria and Emily joined the other two adults on the couch.

Spencer smiled at the girls, "I take it you girls didn't just come here to play candy land."

"Nope," Aria shook her head and smiled. "We want to hear about your date with Toby."

"Sorry, I can't talk about it with the little ones in the room."

"Oh, come on, Spence. The kids are busy playing with each other. They're not even paying any attention to us," Hanna said.

"Okay, fine," Spencer rolled her eyes. "I'll tell you."

"Yay!" Aria clapped her hands together.

"Tell us what you wore," Hanna said. "Did you pick something hot?"

"I thought so. I wore a black dress with sleeves. The place we went to for dinner was actually a really nice place."

"Don't talk about the place," Hanna said. "We don't care about that. We care about the hot details that went down between the two of you."

"Yeah," Emily agreed. "Did Toby do any romantic gestures?"

"Well, when he came to pick me up, he gave brought me a rose."

"Aw," Aria placed a hand over her heart. "He brought you rose."

Spencer smiled, "and it was a white rose."

Aria smiled, "he brought you a white rose. You love white roses. That is so sweet of him."

"What else happened?" Hanna asked.

"Well," Spencer pressed. "We went to the dinner at sat at a table with his partner Lorenzo and his fiance. There was this jerk there that kept giving Toby a hard time. It turns out that the award they were supposed to give to Toby went to this other cop officer. Basically, Toby got robbed last night."

"Aw," Emily frowned. "That's horrible. They just gave it to somebody else."

"Yeah, Toby think it's because Tanner still Isn't happy with the way he handled everything."

"But, Toby saved everyone that day," Aria said. "He deserves that award."

Spencer nodded, but smiled anyway, "the thing about Toby is, he said he didn't even care about that stupid award. That's not why he does this job. He's there to save lives and make a difference. He told me that me being alive and well is better than any stupid award."

"Aw," all three girls said.

"That is the cutest thing ever," Aria said.

"What else happened?" Hanna asked.

"Well, he took me home and he kissed me goodnight."

"He kissed you!" The girls squealed in excitement. Spencer laughed.

"How is he as a kisser?" Hanna asked.

"Was it a good kiss?" Aria added.

Spencer bit her lip and smiled, "it was a very good kiss. I don't mean to brag, but Toby is an excellent, and I mean excellent kisser. It was like kissing a god."

"Oh, Spencer you definitely have the biggest school girl crush on Toby," Hanna teased. "It's actually so adorable."

"And now she's blushing," Aria teased.

Spencer's cheeks turned red as she smiled, "Stop!"

"Spencer should date more often," Hanna said. "It's fun teasing you about it."

She rolled her eyes and smiled, "I think I'm done dating around for awhile."

"Wait," Aria said. "If you're done dating around that must mean you're ready to make you and Toby official. Are you?"

Spencer shrugged and bit her lip, "I don't know maybe. I was going to call him and see if he wanted to do something."

"Before you two gets together, you need to find out if Lucy will be okay with him," Emily said. "Maybe invite him over to watch a movie with the three of you or something."

"I talked to Lucy and she seems to really like Toby."

"Yeah," Emily said. "But you should let them bond. Have Toby over for a movie night, pretend to leave the room for a little bit, and so how they act around each other when you're not there."

"I agree," Aria said. "He's going to be in Lucy's life just as much as he will be in hers."

"I know you guys are right," Spencer said. "But what if things don't end well between me and Toby? Lucy will get all attached to him then be sad when he stops coming around. I want to take small baby steps."

"Fair enough," Aria said. "But, all we're suggesting is you give it a try."

Spencer sighed and rolled her head around, "hey, Lucy."

Lucy ran over to the couch, "yeah mommy?"

"How would you like to invite your friend Toby over to watch a movie tonight?"

Her face lit up, "can we watch Frozen!?"

Spencer nodded, "anything you want."

"And I can invite Toby over!" Spencer nodded again. "Yay!"

* * *

" _Emily, I think I may be pregnant," Spencer said._

" _Woah," Emily sounded shocked. "Repeat that for me again?"_

 _She sighed, "I said, I might be pregnant,"_

" _Oh my god. How did this happen?"_

" _Um, the usual way it happens."_

" _I know how it happens, but when and with who?"_

 _Spencer leaned back against the bathroom sink and pressed the phone to her ear. This whole thing is a big shock to her. She never thought she would end up pregnant at such a young age._

" _It was with this guy I met over a month ago in Rosewood. He showed up in London about a week later. After that night in London, we sort of started seeing each other, but we weren't serious. One night, I had a few too many and it just happened. Now, here I am this morning staring at two positive pregnancy tests."_

" _Spencer," Emily said. "And you're sure you're pregnant?"_

" _Yes, both tests came out positive. I'm going to get myself checked out at the clinic tomorrow, but I think I could be pregnant. I had morning sickness and achy feet."_

" _This is huge."_

" _I know," she sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to tell him. I'm pretty sure it's his baby."_

" _If he cares about you, he'll handle it fine."_

" _I hope so. I better go," Spencer said. "I think one of my roommates just woke up and I don't want to say anything to them until I'm sure."_

" _Okay. Good luck, Spence."_

" _Thanks, Em."_

Spencer poured a bowl of M&Ms into a small red bowl. After she did that, she set up the pillows on the couch just right. Lucy ran into the room carrying a big red blanket for all of them to cuddle under. Frozen's screenplay is already up on the t.v screen ready for somebody to press play. The microwave in the kitchen beeped three times and the smell of butter popcorn filled the air. Spencer ran into the kitchen to retrieve the bag. She shook it around to get all the butter mixed in. Then, she opened it and poured the popcorn into a blue bowl.

"Hey, Lucy, can you carry these two cups over to the coffee table?"

There was a knock on the door and Spencer set the popcorn on the table. She walked across the room to answer the door. Toby stood outside wearing a dark gray, short sleeve t-shirt with black jeans. He smiled at her and stepped inside.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi," Spencer smiled. "Thank you for coming over."

"No problem. It's always fun to hang out with you guys."

Spencer led him over to the couch where Lucy is already sitting. She has part of the red blanket wrapped around her and is patiently waiting to start the movie. Everything they usually have for a movie night is accounted for. Including the blanket, pillows, popcorn, fruit punch, and m&ms. Toby took a seat next to Lucy and Spencer sat beside him.

"Hi, Lucy," Toby smiled at her.

"Toby!" Lucy scrambled out of the red blanket to hug him. "You're here finally!"

He chuckled, "it's nice to see you too sweetheart. What movie did you pick?"

"I picked Frozen."

"Frozen!" Toby exclaimed in excitement. "I'm guessing it's your favorite movie."

"Yes," Lucy said. "Elsa and Olaf are my favorites. Who's your favorite character?"

"I like Anna."

Lucy gasped, "my mommy likes Anna too!" She turned to look at Spencer. "Mommy, did you hear? Toby likes Anna too!"

Spencer smiled, "I heard."

"During the movie, mommy and I pretend we're Elsa and Anna. I'm Elsa and she's Anna. You can't be Anna because you're a boy. You'll just have to be Kristoff."

Toby nodded, "okay."

"Since your Kristoff and my mommy's Anna, that makes you two a couple!" Lucy grinned.

Toby chuckled, "I guess so."

"Luc," Spencer said. "Why don't we start the movie now."

"Okay!"

When it got to the point in the movie where Elsa runs away, Lucy sat up and started singing along to 'Let It Go.' For a little girl, Lucy has a pretty good voice. When they would watch this movie in the past, Lucy would try to get her mom to sing along too. Right now, she's a little shy to be singing when Toby's in the room.

"Come on, mommy," Lucy begged. "Sing with me!"

Spencer's face turned red, "I don't know, sweetie. I'm not very good."

"Yes, you are! Come on, please! Toby will sing with us!" Lucy looked at Toby. "Won't you?"

Toby thought about it for a minute. He noticed how embarrassed Spencer looked right now. Maybe if he does sing along, she'll feel less embarrassed. Plus, how could he say no to those brown eyes.

"Sure," Toby nodded.

Spencer was surprised he agreed to it. Lucy started singing along to Let It Go and Toby sang along with her. She had to laugh at how into it Toby seemed to be. Pretty soon, she was joining them. By the end of the song, the three of them were in a fit of giggles.

Towards the end of the movie, Lucy had fallen asleep leaning against Toby's shoulder. All three of them are cuddled underneath a blanket. Spencer and Toby sat close by but weren't leaning against each other. Lucy dozed off at some point and leaned against Toby for support. Spencer glanced over and felt her heart melt when she saw Toby pull the blanket over Lucy. He's going to be good to Lucy, and Lucy seems to already love Toby. Spencer really hopes this relationship works out. They both need a man in their life who will love them unconditionally. At the end of the movie, Spencer suggested that she put Lucy to bed. Lucy had her tiny arms wrapped around Toby's torso and she didn't want to wake her when moving her. Toby ended up picking her up and carrying her to her bedroom. They both said goodnight to her in there. Then, they walked back into the family room.

"Thank you for coming over tonight," Spencer sat beside him on the couch, tucking her feet behind her bottom.

"It was fun. I had a really good time."

"Well, good," she smiled. "I'm glad."

They looked deeply into each other's eyes. His eyes really sparkled tonight. She's always loved how Toby's eyes seem to appear a different shade of blue every time she saw them. Toby searched her eyes for a long time just admiring her beauty. When he couldn't help himself, he leaned in and kissed her on the lips softly. Spencer instantly melted into him and allowed herself to kiss him back. After a second or two, she pulled away and leaned her forehead against his.

"I guess I should get going now," Toby said.

"It's pretty late. Are you sure you should be out on the roads this late?"

He pulled back an inch to look at her. A small smile tugged against his lips.

"Are you asking me to stay?"

"Maybe," her voice became low and shy.

"I don't know," he smiled teasingly. "Sampson doesn't like it when I'm gone for too long. If you want me to stay, I'm going to need some convincing."

She gave him one of those adorable smiles. Then, she leaned in and kissed him. She started out kissing him soft and slow. She put her hand on her cheek to add some heat to it. After almost a minute, she pulled away and kissed his cheek. Toby smiled and rubbed his nose against hers.

"It seems like I've been convinced," he said. "Sampson's not going to be too happy about this."

Spencer laughed, "oh, I think Sampson will understand."

* * *

 **Do you think Sampson will mind? Lol. What did you guys think of this chapter? Please, if you have time, leave a review for this chapter. I'm starting to lose faith in my readers. With not as many reviews, I tend to lose faith in myself. I understand with the holiday's going on you all are busy, but please, if you do have any time at all.**

 **Also, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year! Xox-Mellie**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm sorry for the long wait. I decided to give myself a few days off from writing to enjoy my time off from school. When I finally decided to get some writing done, I was having some trouble with my laptop. It's been acting weird a lot lately. Hopefully, this chapter makes up with the wait. Some shocking things are revealed.**

* * *

For three nights a week, Toby would spend the night with Spencer and Lucy. On the morning after Toby stayed over for the first time, Lucy got confused as to why he was still here. Spencer explained to her that the reason Toby stayed over was because it was a slumber party. Lucy wondered if Toby would be staying over again and he said he would. Ever since that day, Toby's been spending the night for two to three nights a week. Their relationship has only been official for a few weeks.

Last night happened to be one of the nights Toby stayed over. Lucy got a new version of Candyland, so she asked her mother to invite Toby over the play. Toby came over and they played a few rounds of Candyland while eating some candy that Toby brought much to Spencer's dismay. Eventually, she allowed Lucy to have candy as long as she didn't eat too much.

The following morning, Toby didn't have to get up for work, so he slept in. At around 9 o'clock, he felt the right side of the bed move. Thinking it was just Spencer moving around, Toby rolled over and wrapped his arm around her body. At first, he didn't seem how small the body seemed to Spencer's. He pulled her closer against his body. That's when he heard soft giggling. His eyes shot open and the first thing he saw was Lucy. She's the one he has his arm around. Lucy looked at him with her tiny, but still beautiful brown eyes, and giggled. Toby quickly moved his arm from around her. When he looked around the room, he didn't see Spencer. Just her mini me.

"Good morning!" Lucy practically yelled in his face.

He pushed himself up by his elbows and tried his best to smile, "hey, where's your mom?"

"She went downstairs to get coffee and didn't want to wake you. I took the liberty of doing that myself."

"Oh," Toby sat up. "Well, this was a nice wake-up call."

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

"Um, sometimes I sleep with my shirt off so I don't get too warm."

"Sometimes I get warm at night, but mommy always tells me to keep my shirt on."

He smiled, "how long ago did your mother leave?"

"Not too long ago. Normally she doesn't like leaving me alone with anyone, but she trusts you. Plus, since my mommy's not here at the moment this gives me enough time to share a secret with you."

"Alright, I'm listening."

Lucy cupped her hand over her mouth and leaned over to whisper in Toby's ear.

"Tomorrow is mommy's birthday and I really want to get her a present."

He looked at her, "tomorrow is your mother's birthday?"

Lucy nodded, "on her birthday, all of her friends come over and give her really good presents. My aunt Emily told me to get her something she would like. That's why I want to ask you to be mommy's birthday present."

"Me," Toby chuckled.

"I think my mommy likes you. That's why I want you to be her present. If you be her present, that means she can have you forever."

Toby smiled and held the little girl's hands, "your mother is very lucky to have a daughter like you, do you know that?"

Lucy smiled and nodded, "my mommy tells me every day how much she loves me. She always wants me to know that I'm her heart."

"Hello," the two went silent when they heard Spencer's voice coming from down the hall followed by her footsteps.

"Lucy."

"I'm in the bedroom, mommy!" Lucy yelled back. She looked at Toby and pressed her tiny finger over her lips, "this will be our little secret, right?"

"Of course," he whispered.

Lucy held up her pinky finger and waited for Toby to lock pinkies with her. Again, he laughed and pinky swore. Just then, Spencer opened the door to the bedroom and found them sitting side by side.

She smiled, "well, good morning sleepy heads." She looked at Toby. "Did she wake you?"

"Uh, no," he shook his head. "I was already up when she came into the room."

"Toby said he'd make me Olaf Pancakes," Lucy said.

Spencer laughed, "oh, did he?"

"Yeah, I told him that you usually make them for me, but he said he could do it better."

"Oh?" Spencer crossed her arms and looked at Toby. He just smiled. "Is Mr. Cavanaugh here challenging me to a pancake cook-off?" She asked, raising a brow."

"Yup," Toby nodded. "That's right. I bet I can make Olaf pancakes better than you can."

"Oh, please," She huffed a laugh. "I've been making pancakes since I was Lucy's age. You can't out pancake cook me."

"I bet you that I can," he challenged.

"Alright, fine. Let's go make pancakes. We'll each make our own and let Lucy decide who's pancakes she likes the best, which will be mine. Loser, which will be you, will have to do all the dishes."

"Fine," Toby reached out to shake her hand. "It's a deal."

"You're going down," she snarled teasingly.

The three of them ran out into the kitchen to get busy. While Spencer and Toby worked separately to make their pancakes, Lucy sat at the breakfast bar watching them. She would giggle while listening to her mommy and Toby's playfully banter. Not too much time passed and the pancakes were done. Spencer made her Olfa pancakes the way she always does. By adding in her secret ingredients, cinnamon and a taste of vanilla. Toby made his Olaf pancakes the same way, only he added chocolate chips for the eyes, mouth, nose, and buttons. They served their pancakes to Lucy and sat waiting for her result.

"I like…" She trailed off while she thought about it for a moment. "Toby's pancakes!"

"Yes!" Toby reached out to fist bump Lucy's much smaller knuckle.

"Oh, you two planned this I swear," Spencer teased.

"Mommy, can we go to the park?" Lucy asked.

"Sure, sweetie. Go get dressed while I clean up in here."

"Okay." Lucy hopped down from the stool and ran back to her room.

"If it will make you feel any better, I'll help with the dishes," Toby offered.

"Okay."

Toby carried over his and Lucy's plate and rinsed them off in the sink. The two stood side by side while they washed the dishes. Toby kept thinking about the conversation she had with Lucy just this morning. How come Spencer didn't tell him her birthday is tomorrow?

"So," Spencer spoke up. "What did you and Lucy talk about before I came in this morning?"

"Oh, nothing really," he said. "We talked about Frozen."

"Oh, cool," she said, nodding. "I think she really likes you if she's comfortable talking about her favorite movie."

"Lucy's a good kid."

"She's a very good kid. Toby," Spencer grabbed his arm to get his full attention. "I want to thank you for being so good with Lucy. Other guys, I've tried to date couldn't even stand to be in the same room with her for more than an hour, but you." She paused to smile. "You're good. You're really, really good. You make her feel like she has a friend. She trusts you and so do I. I think I can speak for both of us when I say. I never had a safe place to land, but now I feel like I do."

"Spencer," his heart melted for her. He reached out to touch her cheek, "I'll always be your safe place to land."

Her smile widened, "I love knowing that."

Toby leaned her forehead against hers, "I have to ask, do you have any big plans tomorrow?"

Spencer sighed and closed her eyes. She reopened them and smiled, "Lucy told you, didn't she?"

"Maybe," he moved his hand down her back. "How come to didn't tell me your birthday was tomorrow?"

"I wasn't sure if you would be interested in coming over tomorrow night. All of my friends will be here."

"Are you nervous about me meeting your friends?" He asked.

"More like nervous about them meeting you. You see, my friends live to embarrass me. I just don't want them to say anything that could scare you off."

"Spence," he rubbed his hands over her shoulders. "Nothing could ever scare me off."

She laughed, "I'm going to hold you to that. Okay, tomorrow, my friends will start arriving at around 7. If you want to, you can come. I would really love it if you did come, but you don't have to if you have something better planned."

Toby smiled, wrapping his arm around her waist, "are you kidding me? You really think there's anything else I rather do than spend time with my girlfriend on her birthday?"

"Oh, I love the way that sounds," she teased, ghosting her lips over his. "You calling me your girlfriend."

He kissed her softly on the lips and just held her for a minute.

"Will I be having a run in with your parents as well? I'll have to prepare for that one."

The smile on Spencer's face faded. She pulled away from him and looked at the floor.

"You won't have to worry about meeting my parents because they're not coming. My parents have never shown interest on my birthday."

He looked at her with concern, "will I ever see them?"

"Most likely not. I haven't spoken to them in years. They're not the type of loving parents you would expect them to be."

Toby leaned back against the counter, "you don't have to talk about this."

"No," she sighed, shaking her head. "It's okay. It's just… The reason that I don't talk to them anymore is because they tried to do something really horrible."

This caught his attention, "what did they do?"

Spencer's eyes filled with tears. She turned around to look at him.

"Because of my family, I almost lost my baby…"

* * *

" _This is horrible," Peter exclaimed. "Absolutely horrible!"_

" _Calm down, Peter," Veronica tried soothing him._

" _Calm down! We have a daughter who's nineteen and pregnant, and you want me to calm down! Are you serious?"_

 _During Spencer's time away in London, she went to the clinic to find out if she was really pregnant or not. Turned out, she really was. During Spring break, Spencer returned home to visit her family. Melissa came to visit as well. Also, their delightful aunt Nora and uncle Morris decided to pay them all a visit. Just to catch up on how they (Melissa) are doing._

 _They spent most of the dinner talking about Melissa's great accomplishments. Spencer would just sit back, drinking her water, while Melissa and Aunt Nora went on back and forth. Occasionally, their parents would jump in and say something. Spencer got startled when the conversation somehow shifted over to her. At first, she wasn't sure what to talk about. Then, Veronica brought up her time away in London. For once, her aunt seemed to be interested in what Spencer's been up too. Seeing Spencer getting all of this unusual attention caused something to snap inside of Melissa._

" _Why don't you talk about some of the pictures I saw you holding while unpacking your stuff today?" Melissa blurted out._

 _And the whole conversation went downhill from there. When Spencer got up to her room, she sat on her bed to look at the photos of the baby growing inside of her from her ultrasound. Melissa must've walked by and saw her looking at them. That or she went snooping through her stuff._

" _Photos?" Aunt Nora asked. "Spencer, did you take phones in London. Let me see them."_

" _Um," Spencer bit her lip. "I don't think you'd be interested in these kinds of Photos, Aunt Nora."_

" _Don't be silly, child. I want to see what you've experienced in London."_

" _I bet you experienced a lot over there," her mother jumped in. "Why don't you share it with us?"_

" _Yeah, Spencer," Melissa said, smirking. "Share with us what you experienced over in London."_

 _Spencer sent a glare in her direction. All eyes were on her. Including her parents, Melissa, and her aunt and Uncle. They're all waiting. She was planning on telling her parents about being pregnant when she came home, but she wasn't expecting her very judgemental aunt to be here too._

" _Spencer," her mother urged._

" _Okay," Spencer set her soup spoon down. "They're not the kind of photos you'd expect them to be."_

" _What do you mean? You did get pictures in London, right?" Nora asked._

" _Yes, but let's just say these photos aren't exactly pictures of big Ben. But, it's possible it could be a little Ben."_

" _What are you talking about, Spencer?" her mother asked._

 _Spencer sighed, "mom, dad I'm pregnant."_

 _The room fell silent. A feeling of shock hung in the air. Spencer sat in her chair suddenly regretting saying what she just said. She flinched when everybody opened their mouths expecting them to all yell at her at once. Instead, everybody started laughing. Confused, Spencer sat up and looked at everyone._

" _Wait I don't understand. What's so funny?" She asked._

" _You darling," aunt Nora said._

" _Just because you starve for attention, doesn't mean you have to come up with a fake reason to get attention by telling us you're pregnant," her mother said, laughing._

" _That wasn't a joke, mom," Spencer said. "I really am pregnant."_

 _Everybody laughed harder. Out of frustration, Spencer stood up and stomped upstairs. She came back with the x-rays she got from her ultrasound. She slaps the photo down on the table and immediately, everybody stops laughing. Everybody looked at it as if it was on fire. Veronica reached out to hold it and studied it closely. Spencer can't really remember what happened after that. All she can recall is judgy looks from everyone in the room and lots of lectures about her ruining her life this way. Right now, Spencer is hiding on the stairs listening to her parents, her aunt, and uncle, and Melissa discussing the matter. As if they actually have a say in what she's going to do with HER life._

" _Spencer went to London and got herself pregnant," Peter shook his head. "I knew we couldn't trust her. She's completely ruined everything. How is she supposed to study to be a lawyer like the rest of us with a kid?"_

" _Listen to your wife, now, Peter," Nora said. "There are solutions to every problem including this one."_

" _What kind of solutions?" Veronica asked. "We're open to ideas."_

" _There's no way Spencer can bring a child into this world. She can barely take care of herself. She has a name to represent and this will ruin the family name," Peter said._

" _This doesn't have to ruin the family name," Nora insisted. "All you have to do is simply get rid of it."_

" _Get rid of it," Veronica said. "You mean like Spencer gets an abortion?"_

" _That's exactly what I mean," Nora said._

" _I don't know about aborting the thing, but we could put her baby up for adoption," Veronica suggested._

" _Absolutely not," Peter snapped. "Giving up the baby would look even worse for this family. Spencer will just have to get rid of it before the child is even born. Nobody has to know about it. No one will ever know she was even pregnant. Then, Spencer will move out of London and go to a school close to home. It would be easier to keep her in line if she stays at home."_

 _A salt tear streamed down Spencer's cheek while she listened to this. She's just sitting here listening to her family talk about aborting the baby._ _ **Her**_ _baby. She rubbed her hands over her stomach and looked down at it. She's not showing at all. She's still pretty early in her pregnancy. Her eyes began to water more just knowing that there's a mini her growing inside of her. Spencer doesn't even know if the baby is a boy or girl yet, but she can already feel strong emotions for him or her. She found out she was pregnant almost three weeks ago and she already loves this baby._

 _Who cares if she's nineteen? Who cares what her family thinks? She can raise this baby. Even if her family refuses to help. She can do it on her own. Bull crap she can't take care of herself. She's been taking care of herself her whole life. Her parents just haven't realized that. That's it. She can't sit her for another second listening to this. Spencer's ready to put her foot down. She jumps up on the stairs and walks down them faster than she's ever done growing up here. Everybody froze when they saw her._

" _Spencer you're supposed to be upstairs while we decided how to deal with this problem," Peter said._

 _I know what you all have been talking about and I heard enough," she hissed. "There is no we in this situation. Not with you guys anyway. The only we in this situation is me and this baby. I've decided to keep it and raise this child."_

" _Spencer that is absurd," Veronica said. "You can't take care of a child. You're a child yourself."_

" _I am not a child!" She exclaimed. "I've never been a child. My whole life I pretty much took care of myself. I will do the same with my baby. I'm not aborting this child. I don't care what any of you think. I don't care if you kick me out and cut me off. I'm keeping this baby."_

" _Spencer this will ruin your life."_

" _No, it won't. It will certainly change my life, but not ruin it. My mind's made up and done talking about this."_

" _Spencer wait!" Her father stopped her from walking out that door. "If you have that baby, you will no longer be apart of this family. It's your choice."_

" _If those are my options, I choose this baby. This," she said, putting her hands over her stomach. "Is my family now."_

" _Spencer," Peter yelled, but she didn't turn around. "Spencer! Don't do this. You're making a terrible mistake. Spencer!"_

* * *

 **The Hasting's are family goals, aren't they? Just kidding. Were you surprised her parents tried to force Spencer into getting an abortion? How did you like the part between Toby and Lucy? Including the pancake cook-off. Now, I want some pancakes. Okay, getting off topic.**

 **The next chapter is Spencer's birthday. Toby will be meeting her friends formally for the very first time. Caleb and Ezra might make an appearance as well. Notice how we haven't seen them in the story yet. That will soon change. Alright, thanks for reading. As always, leave a review to make my day. Soon, I shall make your guy's day again by updating again! Later!**

 **P.S my birthday's next Saturday! If your birthday is in January, congratulations, you rock!**


	12. Chapter 12

Her high pitched scream pierced Spencer's ear drums. She cupped her hands over her own ears hoping to block out the ear splintering scream of her best friend who is sitting right beside her. Finally, Hanna stopped screaming and took a deep breath. Moving slowly and casualty, Spencer lowered her hands from her ears.

"Geez Hanna," Spencer groaned while rubbing her ear. "Was that really necessary?"

"Uh, yeah," she said. "I'm excited that we're finally going to meet one of your boyfriends. You've never let us get to really know your boyfriend's in the past. This makes me think that this guy is different."

"Well, Toby is different. He's not like any other guy I've been with. There's something about him that's...I don't know."

"Eeeepp!" Hanna squealed causing Spencer to cover her ears once again.

"Please stop doing."

"I can't help it. I'm just so excited to meet your husband to be."

She rolled her eyes, "he's not my husband to be. As of right now, he's just my boyfriend."

"Yeah, we'll see about that. I haven't even met the guy yet and I've got a feeling about him."

The front door to Hanna's house opened and somebody made their way into the family room. The girls turned their heads and saw a tall, strong built man with thick brown hair. It's Hanna's husband, Caleb.

"I was just outside working in the garage when I heard Hanna screaming and thought I'd come in to make sure no one's been murdered," he said.

"Caleb, go away," Hanna swatted her hand in his direction. "We're having girl talk in here."

"Oh, really?" Caleb asked while grabbing a bottle of beer from the fridge. "What kind of girl talk?"

"We're talking about bloody tampons and cramps!" Hanna shouted. "Now, go!"

A sudden sickness came over him. He crinkled his face in disgust before turning back towards the front door and walking out. After Caleb left the room, all the girls turned to look at Spencer.

"Now," Hanna said, folding her hands on top of her lap. "Tell us all about the boy."

"I already told you guys everything."

"You actually haven't mentioned him in awhile," Aria pointed out. "What's new with you two?"

"Nothing," Spencer shrugged. "Toby's been really great. He's good with Lucy and he makes me really, really happy."

"You guys have been going out for a month now, right?" Emily asked.

Spencer nodded, "officially a month."

"I'm pretty sure this is the longest relationship you've had with any guy. You're allowing your friends to meet him. Something tells me that you don't want this him going anywhere," Hanna said.

"Of course, I don't want Toby going anywhere. I really like this one."

"Aw," the three girls said together.

"You love this guy," Hanna said, nodding. "I can tell."

Spencer checked the time on her watch. "I better go get Lucy."

"Where is she?" Aria asked. "I thought she didn't have daycare today."

Spencer stood up, smiling, "oh, she's not at daycare. Lucy requested to have her own private date with Toby." The girls laughed.

"So, she's with Toby?"

"Yeah."

"Wow," Emily said. "You left Lucy alone with someone other than one of us."

"And you're not there to keep a close eye on them," Aria added.

"Yeah," Spencer said. "I trust Toby and I know he would never do anything to hurt her. Toby's the first guy I've ever felt comfortable with."

"You might want to be careful now that you're daughter wants to hang out with him," Hanna teased.

"Yeah, Spencer," Aria said. "You got some real competition there."

Spencer laughed, "yeah, Lucy seems really found of him. Can't say that I blame her. Toby's just amazing in so many ways."

"We'll judge how amazing he is when we meet him tonight," Hanna said.

Spencer rolled her eyes, "goodbye, Hanna."

The traffic driving home wasn't too heavy for this time of day. It's almost 5 in the afternoon and that's when the roads are usually busy. At 5:15, Spencer pulled up into her parking spot at her apartment building. Toby's car is still parked in the spot next to hers. Spencer smiled to herself, grabbed her purse, and walked towards the front door. When she entered through the front door, she noticed how quiet it was inside. The couch in the family room is empty and the t.v Isn't on. Nobodies in the kitchen. That's strange. Toby's car is here, but the place looks like nobodies here.

"Lucy," she called out while causality making her way into the room. "Toby, where are you guys?"

She set her purse on the chair in the family room then walked down the short hallway. She peeked into Lucy's room and that too was empty. She then continued on down the hallway towards her own bedroom. The door is closed and she's pretty sure she left it open before she left. Very slowly, she reached out for the doorknob and pushed the door open. The room seemed empty until her eyes scanned the room and she saw the huge lump under the covers on her bed. She can hear Lucy quietly giggling and her tiny legs moving around underneath the blankets. A small smile spread across Spencer's face as she realized what's going on.

"Well," Spencer sighed, making her way over to the end of the bed. "Since nobody is here, I guess I'm just going to have to lay here all by myself."

Spencer took off her shoes then lied down on the big lump in the bed. The giggling from underneath grew louder when they felt Spencer's light weight on them. Spencer smiled when she felt two hands start tickling her sides from underneath the blanket. Not much later, Lucy and Toby popped up from underneath the blankets. Toby was the one that Spencer lied on and Lucy popped up to tackle her.

"Got you, mommy!" Lucy squealed.

"Yes, you did," Spencer curled her arm around Lucy. "What have you two goofballs been up to while I was gone?"

"Toby and I played a lot of games. He taught me how to play battleship and let me have ice cream."

"Shush," Toby whispered. "That was supposed to be our secret."

Spencer gave Toby a scolding look, "you gave her ice cream before dinner?"

"Toby said his favorite snack is ice cream. I told him that I'm not allowed to have ice cream unless you say it's okay. I wasn't supposed to tell you that," Lucy said.

"Oh, right," Spencer rubbed the little girl's head. "I'm sure that it was Toby's idea to get ice cream out of the freezer and give it to you. It sounds to me like Toby was tricked by you to let you have ice cream."

Lucy gasped like she was surprised, "mommy, I would never trick anybody into giving me ice cream."

"Uh-huh, sure."

"I didn't let her have ice cream until she finished her lunch," Toby clarified.

Spencer playfully rolled her eyes, "sure you did."

"Mommy, I gotta go potty."

"Okay, go on."

Lucy rolled out of the bed and ran into the bathroom. Spencer climbed out of the bed then offered her hand to Toby. He took it and followed her down the hallway to the kitchen. After filling the tea kettle with water, Spencer set it on one of the burners for the water to boil.

"So," she turned around and leaned back against the sink. "What did you two do all day?"

"Uh, everything Lucy said. I helped her pick out a birthday present for you."

Spencer looked at him in amusement, "you got me a present?"

"Maybe."

"Oh, yeah? What'd you get me?"

Toby chuckled, crossing his arms, "I can't tell you that."

"Aw, come on," she walked over to him. "You can tell me. It will be our little secret," she teased.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. She ran her hands up his chest and looked at him. How did she end up so lucky to come across a guy like him? Toby's is just perfect. Maybe he's too perfect for her. No, she can't to there. If she starts talking down about herself then she'll be the one to push Toby away. He smiled at her before leaning down to capture her soft, pink lips in a loving kiss. The two stopped when they heard somebody enter the kitchen. Spencer looked over Toby's shoulder all saw Lucy standing there.

"Ew," Lucy made a face. "Are you guys kissing?"

"No," Spencer laughed. "What would make you say that?"

"Your guy's lips were touching."

"Um," Spencer smiled and put her hand over her lips. She looked at Toby who was also smiling.

"Are aunt Aria, Hanna, Emily, and Alison coming over?"

"Yes, they should be here soon. Are you excited to see your little boyfriend, Matthew?"

"Mommy, how many times do I have to tell you? Matthew is not my boyfriend."

"Oh, I get it. You're keeping your relationship a secret," Spencer teased with a wink. "He's your secret boyfriend."

"Yeah," Toby jumped in. "While we were coloring, you kept telling me all about Matthew. It sounds to me like he's your boyfriend."

Lucy rolled her little brown eyes, "don't be silly. I'm way too old for him anyway."

Spencer laughed, "you're only eight months older than him."

"Yeah, eight whole months."

Spencer playfully rolled her eyes at her daughter. Now, Toby can see where Lucy get's her attitude from. Lucy looks just like her mother when she rolls her eyes like that. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Spencer walked over to answer. Aria and Ezra stood in the hallway with their daughter along with Emily and Alison.

"Hey," Spencer greeted them.

"Hey, Spence, happy birthday." Aria reached up to hug her friend.

All of them stepped back inside the apartment. Spencer introduced Toby to her friends then introduced her friends to Toby. Ezra gave him a friendly handshake and a fist bump while the girls just smiled and waved. Ten minutes later, Hanna and Caleb showed up with Matthew. They quickly got aquatints with Toby and the night began.

* * *

The night went on and there have been many conversations. The adults sat on the couches and chairs while the kids played nicely around the house. So far, everyone seems to really like Toby. Ezra and Caleb have already made plans with Toby to go to a baseball game. Matthew said he wanted to come too, but Caleb will have to talk with Hanna about that.

After they ate dinner, Lucy ran into the kitchen to help Aria and Emily with the cake. They brought it out for Spencer and everybody sang 'Happy Birthday.' Of course, Hanna sang way off key attempting to be funny. It worked. Everybody started cracking up during and after the singing. Hanna sure knows how to be the life of the party. After eating the cake, Spencer got showered with presents from everyone.

Alison went out and got a pair of earrings for Spencer. They're a pair of red Leela two-in-one earrings. Spencer looked at the earrings and immediately fell in love with them. Aria got her a black leonora clutch purse. That will go great with any dress she decides to wear on dates with Toby or anything else she decides to wear. Ezra got her a kitchen timer, which she's been asking for for months now. Emily got her a set of Thunder tie dye scarfs. Several weeks ago, she and Emily were shopping at the mall when she spotted them. Spencer loved them, but she didn't have enough to buy them. Emily went back and decided to get some for Spencer's birthday. Caleb and Hanna pitched in to get her a gift. They got her a set of fancy plates with matching bowls, silverware, and cups. Hanna added Matthew's name to the card so he wouldn't feel left out. Layla, Aria's daughter, painted a picture of what looks like a pink birthday cake with a blue candle on the top. Spencer smiled and thanked Layla for the beautiful picture she painted.

"Are those all the gifts?" Spencer asked.

"Wait!" Lucy shot up from her place on the floor. She ran over to where Toby sat, which was next to Spencer, and tugged on his hand.

"Come on."

Spencer gave him a look and he just smiled before getting up and following the little girl down the all. Spencer sat against the couch wondering what those two are up to. A few minutes later, Lucy came back, but Toby wasn't with her.

"Alright, mommy," Lucy called out. "Are you ready for your present?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"Okay, here it is!" Lucy motioned with her hands towards the hall.

Toby walked out of the hallway with a sparkly, pink bow stuck to his head. Spencer had to put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. The second Toby came out with that bow on his head, she immediately caught on to what they were doing.

"Mommy," Lucy started. "My gift to you is Toby because I know how much you like him, so I want you to have him. That way, you can keep him and be happy with him forever and ever!"

"Aw," Spencer wrapped her arms around Lucy and hugged. "You're just the sweetest."

Lucy pulled herself away from her mother's hold and urged her to go over to Toby. Spencer smiled and got up to give Toby a well-earned hug. No man would ever go along with her daughter on that. It actually almost made her want to cry. Tears of joy of course. He really is the best. Toby wrapped his arms around her and kissed the side of her head. Everybody in the room smiled at how cute they are. Right then, somebody knocked on the door. Spencer pulled away and looked at the door alarmed. Now, who could that be? All of her friends are already here with her. She untangled herself from Toby's hold and went over to answer the door. Outside in the hall, there was a short, old man with very short, thin gray hair. He wore a tan suit and a hat. In his hands, he was holding a rectangular box wrapped in light purple wrapping paper.

"Are you Spencer Hastings?" The man asked with a dual impression.

"Uh, yes."

"Great. These are for you."

He passed over the box to her and she took it without saying another word. The man tipped his hat then left. Shocked, Spencer closed the door and turned to see her friend standing behind her.

"Spencer, what is that?" Emily asked.

"I'm not sure."

She opened the box and inside was pink wrapping paper. Underneath the wrapping paper was a dozen white roses. Her whole face lit up thinking they're from Toby.

"Toby," she looked at him in awe.

Toby gave her a look, "Spence, I didn't order any flowers."

That concerned her, "but wait, if you didn't, who did?"

Nobody in the group owned up to it. If none of her friends ordered those flowers for her, then who sent them to her? She shuffled through the tissue paper and found a note. **Bet you thought you've seen the last of me, didn't you? Guess again. Have a Happy Birthday. -Xox.** All the blood in Spencer's face drained out when she read the card. This can't be happening. The person she's been trying to keep herself and her daughter from knows where they're hiding and he's coming for them.

* * *

 **Dun, dun, dun! Cliffhanger! Who do you think sent Spencer the flowers? What did you think of the chapter? Who's present to Spencer did you like the best? Thanks again for reading. Please, leave your thoughts and theories in the reviews. I read them all. Kisses - Mellie.**

 **P.S. Thank you guys for the birthday wishes! I'm nineteen and still writing!**


	13. Chapter 13

Right then, somebody knocked on the door. Spencer pulled away and looked at the door alarmed. Now, who could that be? All of her friends are already here with her. She untangled herself from Toby's hold and went over to answer the door. Outside in the hall, there was a short, old man with very short, thin gray hair. He wore a tan suit and a hat. In his hands, he was holding a rectangular box wrapped in light purple wrapping paper.

"Are you Spencer Hastings?" The man asked with a dual expression.

"Uh, yes."

"Great. These are for you."

He passed over the box to her and she took it without saying another word. The man tipped his hat then left. Shocked, Spencer closed the door and turned to see her friends standing behind her.

"Spencer, what is that?" Emily asked.

"I'm not sure."

She opened the box and inside was pink wrapping paper. Underneath the wrapping paper was a dozen white roses. Her whole face lit up thinking they're from Toby.

"Toby," she looked at him in awe.

Toby gave her a look, "Spence, I didn't order any flowers."

That concerned her, "but wait, if you didn't, who did?"

Nobody in the group owned up to it. If none of her friends ordered those flowers for her, then who sent them to her? She shuffled through the tissue paper and found a note. **Bet you thought you've seen the last of me, didn't you? Guess again. Have a Happy Birthday. -Xox.** All the blood in Spencer's face drained out when she read the card. This can't be happening. The person she's been trying to keep herself and her daughter from knows where they're hiding and he's coming for them.

* * *

 _Her hands shook and her arms are covered in goosebumps while waiting down in the lobby to talk to him. A woman told her to wait here until she got called to come up. Today, she is telling the father of their child about the baby that's growing inside of her. She doesn't expect him to want to be apart of this baby's life, but he should, at least, know about him or her. When she got back to England, the first thing she did was search for his workplace. Apparently, this guy works in some office building. He was never clear on what he does for a living. Spencer assumed what he did was important, but never questioned it._

" _Ma'am," a woman, with blonde shoulder length hair came up to her._

" _You can go up now. He's ready to see you."_

" _Thank you." She managed to speak over the huge lump in her throat._

 _Gathering up her purse and her courage, Spencer walked over to the elevator and rode it up to the fourth floor. That's where his office is located. She walked down the hallway until she found his last name one of the name tags. Before entering, she knocked on the door twice._

" _Come in," a British voice answered her._

 _Spencer opened the door and saw him sitting behind his desk writing something in a black journal notebook. It felt strange seeing him in a suit and tie. Normally, he's dressed in a tight shirt and jeans._

" _Spencer," his face lit up. "Good to see you. How are you doing, dear?"_

" _I'm fine," her voice shook as she spoke._

" _Come," he gestured towards the chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat."_

 _Nodding, Spencer slide into the chair and set her bag on the ground beside her. The man in front of her crossed his arms over his desk._

" _You seem a little tense. Is something the matter?"_

" _Yeah, there uh, there's something I gotta tell you."_

" _What is it?"_

" _Do you remember that night we spent together a few months ago."_

 _He smiled, "how could I forget?"_

" _Well," she cleared her throat and brushed her hair back. "I just thought you might want to know that I'm pregnant and I'm pretty sure it's your child."_

 _His face fell and pretty soon he was the one trying to swallow over the lump in his throat. Spencer turned her head towards the ground. She was afraid of his reaction. He wiped his hand over his mouth, sighing._

" _Are you sure it's mine?"_

" _Yeah, I'm pretty sure. You're the only one I've...Well, you know."_

" _So," he paused to process this whole new information. "Do you like need anything or want anything? How much will it cost to get rid of it?"_

" _Get rid of it?" Her eyes turned into little slits. "I'm not getting rid of this baby."_

" _I'm not paying for the child."_

 _She shook her head, "I'm not asking you to. I just thought you would like to know if a woman is carrying your child."_

" _Spencer you're not the first woman I got pregnant."_

" _What?" She exclaimed, her eyes widening._

" _It's alright, Spencer. You're not the first one who's come to me about this. Most woman would come in and say how much they need for the abortion."_

" _I'm not aborting this baby. I'm keeping her or him. You don't have to do anything for this baby."_

" _If you have this baby, you can't go around telling people that I'm the father."_

" _Not that I would, but why wouldn't you want people to know."_

" _Because of what it would do to my image. I'm supposed to be well-known for what I do. If all these woman that I've gotten pregnant tell the world that I'm the father, it will ruin me. Maybe you should spend some time thinking about keeping that baby."_

" _I've already taken some time on it and I decided to raise this baby."_

" _Spencer," he stood up, removing his work glasses. "I really don't think that's a smart idea."_

" _I didn't ask if you thought me keeping it was a smart idea."_

" _That kids going to ruin your life."_

 _She shook her head, "no, it won't."_

 _Before either one of them could get another word out, his assistant tried calling him. He slammed his thumb down on the button and spoke into the intercom._

" _What is it, Gracie."_

 _Gracie responded, "you have a request for a video chat with Chad."_

" _Okay, I'll take it." He looked at Spencer, held up his finger and said, "give me one second."_

 _He turned on the t.v and a man, with short brown hair, brown eyes, and a fat face showed up on the screen. Spencer couldn't really tell what was going on, but she could tell that there's something behind the man. There's a red couch in a nice looking family room, with chairs, and a coffee table. There are two other figures on the screen as well, but both of them are in the background._

" _What is it, Chad?" He asked, sounding slightly irritated._

" _We have a problem," Chad said with a sigh._

" _Name it."_

" _Our newest client is backing out on our deal."_

 _He sat up in his chair and spoke in an angry voice, "he what?"_

" _Yeah. After everything, Andrew decided he didn't want to be a part of it. He's trying to back out. What should we do?"_

" _You know what you need to do."_

" _Excuse me,?" Chad questioned._

" _Yes," he nodded. "_ _ **You**_ _. Take care of it. You know what needs to be done."_

 _Chad nodded, "right. I'll handle it."_

 _Chad moved out of view from the screen, so Spencer saw who else was in the frame. There's another guy dressed like Chad wearing sunglasses. He had thick black hair and pale skin. Another figure sat tied up in a chair with duct tape covering half of his mouth. The poor man's face is covered in blood and bruises. Spencer watched in anticipation when Chad stepped back into view, holding a handgun. Chad fired the gun several times, shooting the man sitting in the chair. Spencer covered her mouth with her hands and gasped every time the gun was fired and hit that man in his chest. She watched as the blood soaked the inside of his blue, cotton shirt and his body went limp in the chair. After that, the screen went black. Hot tears ran down Spencer's face and her back bumped into the wall._

" _Sorry you had to see that, love," he said._

 _Spencer removed her hands from over her mouth and looked at him. Her eyes were filled with fear, but also anger._

" _Is this what you do?" She spat. "You kill people."_

" _I don't kill people, Spencer. It's them. People get themselves killed. My job is to help them, but when people like that back out on deals, I have no choose. When people neglect to put up their part of the deal, that's what happens."_

" _Oh my god," Spencer shook her head. "What you're doing is illegal. You're running an illegal company. You said you worked for the goods of people."_

" _I do work for the goods of people. The bad ones are the one's I get rid of."_

" _What did that man do?"_

" _Simple, he was low on money, so I lent him some. He told me his wife needed surgery. He promised to pay me back, but he backed out, so we did what needed to be done."_

" _You can't just kill people! For god sakes, that man needed money for his wife. You're nothing but a greedy bastard."_

 _Spencer yelped when the back of his hand met her left cheek. More tears spilled out of her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. She looked back at him with water, fearful eyes._

" _No one is going to find out what's going on here. You're not going to tell anybody."_

" _What makes you so sure?" She hissed, trying to sound tough._

" _Because I know you would do anything to protect that child of yours. Keep your mouth shut about what's going on, or I will kill you and your baby, understood?"_

* * *

Shortly after receiving the floors, Spencer politely asked her friends to leave. Everyone but Toby left, which she didn't seem to mind. A large suitcase was flung onto Spencer's bed, followed by her filling it with a bunch of clothes. There is no way that they can stay here. Now when he's out there looking for them. This guy was able to send flowers to the right address, it won't be long until he finds them. Toby kept trying to get her to talk, but she was in too big of a rush to really listen. She told Lucy to get her suitcase and fill it with things she wants to bring with her.

"Okay, sweetie," Spencer kneeled down in front of Lucy. "Why don't you finish packing up your stuff and when you're down, bring it out to the family room, alright?"

"Mommy, where are we going?"

"We're getting out of here, baby."

"We're leaving again," Lucy crinkled her head to the side. "But, I like it here."

"I know and so do I," Spencer reached out to caress her daughter's hair. "But like I keep telling you, in order to survive, we have to keep going. Go on and finish packing, alright?"

"Okay."

Lucy ran back to her room to get busy. Spencer stood up and went back into her own room to do some more packing. Of course, she doesn't want to leave this town. This is the first place she's ever felt at home and she's been here the longest. She was finally able to make good friends and got a steady job. Life was good here, but it looks like it's time to start new someplace else.

"Spence," Toby finally got her attention.

She stopped packing for a second to look at him. He's now standing in her room waiting for an explanation. Sighing, she turned around to face him.

"We have to get out of here. Lucy and I have to. We're not safe anymore."

"Why do you have to leave? Who sent you those flowers? What is going on."

Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes, "I wish I could explain everything, but It's really complicated. All that you need to know is I'm doing this to keep my daughter safe."

"Yeah, I got that, but Spencer, you can't leave."

"I don't have a choice. He found us. He knows where we are."

"Who?" Toby asked. "Who found you?"

"It's this guy I got involved with back when I was a teen. He's bad news and I wish I would've known that at the time, but at the same time I'm happy I ended up having Lucy. I just wish it was under different circumstances and with somebody else."

"Who is this guy?"

"It's biological father. I haven't seen or spoken to him in years, but he found us, and he's close. That's why I need to get Lucy out of here."

"Have you tried going to the police?"

"Of course, I have, but that's what started this whole cat and mouse game. This guy wants me dead. I'm sorry, but I have to do this. I have to go."

"Spencer," he held her gently against him and finally got her to look at him. Her brown eyes glistened and a single tear rolled down her cheek. He brushed his thumb over it.

"I have to go," she whispered.

"I get that you feel like you have to get up and run every time he's lurking the area. I know you're afraid, but dammit Spencer, I can't get used to the thought of you being far away. There has to be another way. Ever since I've met you, I cared about you. I only ever want to keep you safe. I can't do that if you pack up and leave everything behind. You're leaving everything including me."

"I know," now the tears were coming out. "That's the hardest part."

Toby's blue eyes glistened, "please don't go. I love you."

Spencer smiled slightly, but it got taken over by a quiet sob. She grabbed the back of his head and pressed a firm kiss against his lips. Their tears spilled down their cheeks and got mixed with each others. Toby lowered his hands around her waist and kissed her with everything he has. He kissed her with everything he's made of. They stopped the kiss when air became necessary. Sniffling, she kept holding him close and looked him in the eyes.

"I love you too."

Hearing those words coming from her made Toby's heart sor. He worried that he said those words too early, but when she said it back, he knew it wasn't. If only there was someway he could convince her to stay and they could work this out together.

"Mommy I finished packing."

Lucy stepped back into the doorway. Spencer removed herself from Toby's hold and ran her hands down her wet face to wipe away the tears. She turned towards her daughter and saw her little pink suitcase parked beside her.

"Good, sweetie. I'm almost ready too. Uh, do you want to say goodbye to Toby while I get the stuff out of the bathroom?"

"Wait," Lucy's face fell. "Toby's not coming with us?"

Spencer shook her head, "no, he's not."

"B-but he's your birthday present. He makes you happy. You have to stay together."

"Sweetie, things are different right now. Toby can't come with us because he has a very important job right here in Rosewood."

"If Toby's not going, I'm not either."

"Lucy…"

"No!" The little girl cried, crossing her arms. "Toby's my friend and friends don't leave each other behind. That's what you're always telling me!"

"I know he's your friend. Us leaving won't change that. Sometimes we have to do what's best for us and our friends."

"But Toby loves you. Right?" Lucy turned around to face Toby. "You love us, don't you?"

He nodded, "of course."

"See," Lucy looked back at her mother. "We can't just leave Toby, my aunts, and everybody behind."

"I don't want to leave any more than you do, Lucy, but we don't have much of a choice. I'm only doing this to protect you."

"Don't you feel safe with Toby?"

Spencer swallowed over the lump in her throat, "yes. Yes, I do."

"So stay with me," Toby said. Spencer looked up at him.

"You can stay with me at my place. It's a little bigger than where you're staying now," he said. "Whoever this guy is, won't even come near you as long as I'm around. I can keep both of you safe. My house is protected by a strong security alarm system. At night, you'll never have to worry about him or some other dangerous guy coming after you. No one is going to hurt you," he said. "Not when I'm around."

Lucy looked at Spencer with pleading eyes, "please mommy."

Tears began filling the little girl's eyes with tears. Seeing her daughter on the verge of tears made her cry. Spencer knows Toby could keep both of them safe, but what if he ends up getting killed while doing so? Lucy won't be happy if they leave Rosewood and everybody in it. There's a lot to consider with this decision.

* * *

 **Cliffhanger! Yeah, you know I love leaving you to wonder what's going to happen next. In this chapter, you learned more about Lucy's father and what he's up to. I'm trying to decide when I should reveal who the father is. I was going to wait until more towards the end of the story, but that might come sooner than planned. We'll see.**

 **Who do you think Lucy's biological father? What do you think Spencer will decide to do? Will she stay with Toby or leave Rosewood? Leave me your thoughts and theories in the reviews.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Finally, another chapter! I am so sorry it took so long for me to update. I've been very busy with school work. I'm going to class three times a week and I get a new homework assignment each time. So, I've been very busy with school work. Now, I'm trying to juggle my two classes, plus the work I get, and finding time to write chapters. Sorry for any slow updates that can and will happen in the future.**

* * *

If anything should happen to Toby, it will be Spencer's fault. That's the only thought running through Spencer's head during the car ride over to Toby's. When she looked back into the backseat, Lucy was there gazing out the window. Hopefully, Spencer made the right decision by doing this.

The car pulled up into Toby's driveway and Spencer looked up at the small house. It may look small on the outside, but the place is actually really nice on the inside. Spencer's been over a few times before. Toby once made dinner for her when Lucy went to see a movie with Matthew. He invited Spencer over to his place and he cooked for her. It was really nice.

Lucy jumped out of the backseat and looked up at the house. She has never been here before, but she's real excited. They're going to be staying with Toby now, which means they don't have to leave Rosewood. Well, for now. That's how Spencer put it. Her mind is not completely made up about staying in Rosewood. It would take awhile to get a good flight out of Rosewood right now anyway. Toby walked them through the front door and showed them around the place.

There's only one real bedroom, but there is another room that's connected to the master bedroom. Tomorrow, Toby could probably get a bed in there for Lucy to sleep on. For tonight, she and Spencer will sleep on the double bed in his bedroom. He'll sleep on the couch. Manson came running out into the family when they walked through the door. Lucy shrunk back into her mother's hold while the dog came up to sniff her face. Lucy let out a shriek of giggles when Manson started licking her face.

"Easy, Manson," Toby snapped his fingers at him. "Go lie down."

"Where's the potty?" Lucy asked.

"It's right in through that door," he pointed to the one across the room.

Lucy skipped off towards the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Spencer hadn't said anything yet. She's been busy checking out the place.

"There's only one bed, but if you do decide to stay here for good, we could get another one. I could probably fit a single bed in the conjoined room."

"What's the conjoined room originally supposed to be? Spencer asked.

"A game room, but I don't play many games. That room is pretty much empty."

"So, you could turn it into a spare room for Lucy?"

Toby nodded, "yes, I could. If you decide you want to stay that is."

"I still don't know about this, Toby," she shook her head, looking around. "If he's here in Rosewood, I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing is going to happen to me."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't, but I have to believe that nothing will happen to me. I have to believe that nothing will happen to you or Lucy either. I just have to."

"Mommy," Lucy came out of the bathroom. "I'm tired."

"I know, sweetie. Why don't you go on back in the bedroom and I'll be there in a minute?"

Lucy nodded then turned to walk down the hallway. When Spencer turned her gaze back to Toby, her eyes brimmed with tears.

"I'm scared," she admitted, letting out a shrill cry. "I'm so scared. This guy is seriously dangerous. Lucy is so small and I don't want anything to happen to her. I'm really, really scared."

"I know," Toby wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her head against his chest.

"There is no safer place for you than right here with me," he said. "I'm here to protect you. You're always saying how you need a safe place. I can be that. I can be your safe place. No matter what, I'll be here for you."

She smiled slightly and said, "I love knowing that."

"Mommy!" Lucy called from the back bedroom. "Will you read me a bedtime story?"

"Yeah, I'm coming," she answered. Spencer leaned in to kiss Toby lightly on the lips and said, "goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Spencer pulled away from Toby's grip on her hand and walked down the hallway to the back bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. She pushed the door open more and saw Lucy sitting up in the big bed. The tan pillows were all lined up behind her. Even the ones that were for Spencer's side of the bed. She could see that light tan sheets sticking out from underneath the brown comforter. Spencer walked over to the side of the bed and took a seat. Lucy had one of her books already clutched in her hands.

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar," Spencer read the title.

"Matthew loves that book," Lucy said.

"Did Matthew let you borrow his copy?"

Lucy nodded, "since I don't have my own copy. Plus, when I would go over there, aunt Hanna would catch me looking at it all the time. Eventually, she convinced Matthew to let me borrow it for a few days."

"That was very nice of both of them," Spencer said. "Now, let's see just how hungry this caterpillar is."

Lucy smiled and leaned her small frame against her mother's body. Spencer pulled the blankets up around the both of them and snuggled up with Lucy as she began reading the story.

"In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf," Spencer read.

The bedroom door creaked open causing the two ladies to look up. Toby stood at the entrance of the room.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I just wanted to make sure you guys were all settled and if you needed anything"

"We're fine, thanks."

"Mommy's reading me The Very Hungry Caterpillar," Lucy said.

"Really," Toby smiled in amusement. "My mother used to read that to me when I was a kid. I used to love that book."

Lucy turned to Spencer, "mommy, can Toby listen in on the story?"

Spencer smiled and looked at Toby. He blushed and smiled shyly at the thought of listening to a bedtime story. He wasn't lying when he said he liked that story. Every night before he went to bed, his mom would read that book to him. He loved it mostly because he got to spend time with his mom.

"I-I don't want to intrude on your mother and daughter time."

Spencer rolled her eyes, smiled, and patted the end of the bed, "come on, hop on."

A big childish grin lit up Toby's entire face. He walked over and sat at the end of the bed. Spencer cleared her throat, licked her thumb, and flipped to the next page. Toby and Lucy sat there listening to her read. Listening to Spencer's voice gave Toby a calm feeling. It almost made him feel like a little kid again. He smiled whenever Lucy made a comment that if the caterpillar keeps eating, he's going to get fat. He laughed whenever Spencer read, "but he was still hungry!" In a high pitched voice.

"Then he nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushed his way out…"

"He was a beautiful butterfly!" Lucy read along with Spencer. "I just love that story."

"Me too," Spencer said.

She closed the book and set it on the nightstand. Lucy moved over to the right side of the bed to lay down. Spencer pulled the covers up over her daughter and tucked her in. Toby stood up from the end of the bed and slipped quietly out of the room. After making sure Lucy was all tucked in, Spencer went into the bathroom to change into her pajamas. When she walked back into the bedroom, she caught Lucy fast asleep in the bed. Spencer smiled at how peaceful she looks.

Out in the family room, Toby got out some blankets and a pillow from the closet. He already pulled the couch bed out and had a sheet on it. Now, he just has to add the blankets and pillow. After making the bed, he took off his shirt and crawled under the covers. Tonight seems like it will be one of those nights where he doesn't sleep. Not because he's sleeping on the couch bed. His mind kept wandering to the message Spencer got earlier that evening. Who was it that sent that message to Spencer? She wouldn't tell him who Lucy's father is. If he could figure out who the father is, he could work to stop this guy. He understands that Spencer isn't ready to talk about it. When she does want to talk about it, he'll be ready to listen and help in anyway he can.

His thoughts got interrupted when he felt the left side of the bed shift. Somebody was climbing under the covers. He turned over and the first thing he saw were Spencer's brown eyes. She snuck out of the bedroom and came out here to sneak into bed with him. Not that he Isn't glad to see her, he's wondering why she's not back in the room with Lucy.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

Instead of answering him with words, she smiled and pressed her warm lips against his. He didn't hesitate to lower his hands to her hips and kiss her back. Her hands traced up his hard chest, cupped his face. When his lungs started burning for air, he pulled his face away from her. Spencer was still trying to kiss him. He chuckled and pecked her once on the lips.

"I'm not complaining, but what was that for?"

She curled her fingers in the back of his hair and said, "I just realized I haven't got the chance to enjoy my present yet."

"Oh," his lips turned up into a smile. "Carry on then."

Spencer smiled and they resumed kissing. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she climbed on top of him. Toby wrapped his strong arms around her lower body, kissing her with everything he's made of. He moved his hands under her tank top and started rubbing her bare skin on her back. The warm feeling caused Spencer to moan into his mouth, which ignited him to slip his tongue into the opening of her mouth.

Both hearts are beating at a rapid pace. They kiss for ten, fifteen, twenty minutes before coming up for air. In between breaks, they lay there looking into each other's eyes while they caress each other's face.

"I love you," Toby said, searching her eyes. "I know I told you earlier, but I don't want you to think I said it just to convince you to stay."

She looked at him for a long time before pressing a loving kiss on his lips. He took a few minutes to kiss her back. This kiss wasn't as long as the ones they shared before, but it wasn't short either. After pulling away, Spencer rested her head in the crook of his neck. One of his arms wrapped around her waist and the other went up to her back, and started rubbing soothing circles.

"I love you too." Was the last thing he heard Spencer whispered before falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Toby rolled over and moved his hand around the bed. A feeling of panic rushed over him when he didn't feel anybody next to him. Last night, Spencer fell asleep beside him. Now, she's not there. He opened his eyes and saw the other half of the bed was empty. Now is not the time to panic. Spencer probably just went back to the bedroom to be with her daughter. What if she took Lucy and left?

Strangely he noticed that Manson had not jumped on him to wake him up. Usually at 8 am, Manson would hop up on the bed and lick his face until Toby agreed to walk him and feed him. The sound and smell of sizzling bacon caused him to sit up in bed. He turned towards the kitchen and saw Spencer standing at the stove frying bacon in one pan and eggs in another. The blueish/gray long sleeve shirt she had on looked familiar. Kind of like the shirt he wore yesterday before taking it off before going to bed. Spencer must've picked it up off the floor and put it over her tank top. If she's cooking breakfast in the kitchen, where's Lucy?

On cue, Toby heard a bag tumbled over on the floor followed by the sound of something pouring out all over the hardwood floor. It sounded like a bag of cheerios being knocked over. Toby turned the other way and laughed when he saw Manson eating the spilled dog food off the floor while his tail wagged wildly behind him. Lucy stood back with a worried expression on her face. Toby chuckled, shook his head then, got up. When Lucy saw Toby coming, she panicked.

"I'm sorry," she said to him. "I-I tried to feed him, but the bag was heavy, so I accidentally knocked the bag over. I didn't mean to make a mess."

"Don't worry about it," Toby smiled. "Manson's a boy and boys eat things off the floor all the time."

"So, you're not mad at me?"

"Of course not. I'm sure Manson would love the extra food you've given him. I'll take care of this, alright? Later you can help me walk him."

"Okay!" Lucy beamed. "I'll go help mommy set the table then!"

Lucy ran off into the kitchen and left Toby to clean up the spilled dog food. Spencer just finished up cooking the eggs when Toby got done cleaning the food. He came in and grab a carton of Tropicana orange juice from the fridge. He poured out three glasses. One for him, one for Lucy and one for Spencer. Spencer already had coffee made for the adults, but she could also use the orange juice. When Lucy wasn't paying attention, Toby walked over and gave Spencer a loving kiss. She smiled and leaned her head against his.

"Well, good morning to you too," she teased.

He smiled and looked at the breakfast on the table, "you certainly know how to make it a good morning."

"Oh, well, you're letting us crash here, so I figured I'd return the favor by cooking breakfast."

"You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to."

The three of them sat at the table and ate the breakfast Spencer made. Lucy told Toby about the crazy dream she had last night. There was a pony and a talking rabbit. Lucy was riding the pony when the rabbit hopped up. She continued to ramble on about her dream to Toby while Spencer sat there trying not to laugh. Her daughter sure does have an interesting imagination.

After breakfast, Toby and Lucy went to take Manson for a walk while Spencer did the dishes and got ready for work. Since Toby doesn't have to be at work until 4, he can stay home with Lucy until Spencer gets off of work at 3. Right now he's walking around Rosewood Park with Manson and Lucy.

"How long have you had your dog?" Lucy asked.

"I've had him for four years now. I got him after I graduated from college," Toby answered.

"I like him. He's a big dog."

"He is. He's a very big dog?"

"My friend at daycare has a dog. It's a labradoodle and she named her Noodles," Lucy said with a giggle. "Isn't that a funny name?"

"That's a very funny name."

"Mommy told me she had a bunny when she was in middle school, but she only had him for a few months."

"Oh, I didn't know that," he said.

"I keep asking her if I could get a pet, but she always responds with 'I'll think about it,' but she never really does."

"I'm sure she has thought about it."

"I doubt it. She spends a lot of her time worrying about my safety and what's going to happen to us. She's not very happy a lot of the time either. Sometimes when I would sneak into her room at night, I would hear her crying. I don't think mommy even knows that I hear her cry at night."

"Your mother cries at night?" Toby asked.

Lucy nodded, "she never cries in front of me because she always wants to seem strong for me, but I notice when she's upset. I think it's because of my daddy. Though, she hasn't cried as much since you walked into her life. I think you're making her feel better."

"Oh."

"Does Manson know any tricks?" Lucy asked.

"Well, what kind of tricks do you want to see?"

"All Noodle knows how to do is sit, heal, lay down and stay."

"I think Manson knows a few tricks," Toby took off Manson's leash. "Manson, sit."

The golden retriever sticks his tongue back in his mouth and sits down on the green grass. Toby holds out his hand and commands him to shake. Manson lifted his paw and placed it in Toby's hand.

"Wow!" Lucy said. "He knows how to greet people?"

Toby nodes, "he sure does. You want to try?"

Lucy nodded. Toby moved so Lucy was in front of the dog. She stuck out her small hand and commanded him to shake. Again, Manson lifted his paw and placed it on Lucy's hand. Lucy smiled and shook the dog's paw.

"Your dog is smart," she said.

"That's not all. Manson, play dead."

Lucy watched while Manson got down on the floor and rolled over onto his back. Again, Lucy grinned. After showing off a few more tricks, they went back inside. It's a little past noon and Lucy's hungry again. Toby made her a sandwich and cut up a few carrots for her to eat. So she wouldn't complain about the carrots, Toby told her that she could have a pudding cup afterward.

For the remainder of the afternoon, the two sat on the couch watching cartoons on t.v. After 3:30, Spencer returned with a bag of groceries. Lucy got off the couch and went over to greet her.

"Hi, mommy!"

"Hey, sweetie. Did you have fun today?"

"Yes, Toby and I took Manson for a walk and he showed me some tricks. Then, he made me lunch. After lunch, he gave me a pudding cup. Finally, we sat on the couch and watched Tom and Jerry."

"Wow," Spencer said. "It sounds like you two had a big day."

"I need you use the potty," Lucy said.

"Okay," Spencer said. "Just don't forget to wash your hands after."

Lucy went into the bathroom and Toby walked into the kitchen where Spencer was busy putting the groceries away. He leaned against the counter and watched her.

"Thank you again for watching Lucy," she said.

"It was no problem. I'll probably be looking out for her a lot now that you guys are staying here."

"Well, if we ever start to get on your nerves just say the words and we're out of here."

"No," he stood up straight. "I like having you guys here. It's not so lonely anymore."

"You have Manson."

"Yeah," he smiled. "But, I really like having you and Lucy here."

"Good," she smiled back at him. "We like being here."

"I better get ready for work."

"Okay."

"I should get off at 9 tonight, but if you need anything, feel free to call."

"We'll be fine," she said. "If we need anything, I'll be sure to call the station and ask for the handsome officer."

He smiled and kissed her, "good. I'm going to go get dressed for work."

"Okay, have a good day, honey."

"Honey?" he stopped in his tracks and turned around. He gave her a teasing smile, "now we have code names for each other?"

Spencer smiled and blushed, "maybe."

He shook his head and laughed, "I'll try not to stay out too late, dear."

Toby walked down the hall to the bedroom and left Spencer standing in the kitchen with a wide grin on her face. He sure knows how to make a girl smile.

* * *

 **Again, sorry for the long wait. Hopefully this chapter made up for it. You got a romantic scene between Spencer and Toby. You saw some of Toby bonding with Lucy. I hope you have time to update soon, but who knows. Like I said, I have a lot going on. Plus, I need some time to myself where I can just be lazy and catch up on shows. And I'm also still writing You'll Always Be 18 & Beautiful. I just have so much crap going on. Ha ha. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading and don't forget to review!**


	15. Chapter 15

The phones in the police station have been ringing off the hook. Most of the class they've been getting were middle schoolers pulling a prank. One person called to ask the classic joke, "is your refrigerator running?" Another called to report a fake emergency. It's a good thing Toby's not the one answering all those calls. Instead, he's back in his office doing some research. He wanted to find out who Lucy's father is or, at least, try to figure it out. All of Spencer's files are sealed for protective purposes. He guessed that's understandable.

How else is he going to figure out who Lucy's father is? Spencer won't talk about it. She told him that she would tell him eventually, but she's just not ready right now. Toby just hoped she won't until it's too late. At the end of his shift, he shutdown his computer and got himself ready to return home. He texted Spencer he was on his way, but she didn't respond. He tried not to get too worried about it.

There was barely any traffic on the way home. It's after 11 at night, so not many cars are out. Mostly everyone is cozied up inside their homes. The only people who seem to be out tonight are other late night workers who are just now getting off from work.

He got to his front door and noticed how quiet it was inside. There was no sound of the television playing or Lucy talking. A worried feeling came over him. Are they still there? He opened the door and walked into the family room. His feeling of worry vanished when he found Spencer and Lucy on the couch. Spencer was lying on the couch with Lucy and had a blanket over the both of them. Toby smiled. As if she sensed his presence, Spencer began to stir on the couch. Her eyes fluttered open and a shy smile spread across her face when she saw Toby.

"Hey," she spoke in her cute sleepy voice.

"Sorry," he whispered, coming over to sit on the chair beside the couch. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't wake me," she insisted.

Spencer sat up on the couch and made sure not to wake Lucy.

"How was work?" She asked.

"It was okay kind of boring. Not much happened tonight."

"Well, that's good then. That nothing bad happened tonight."

Toby nodded, "yeah, I guess. What have you and Lucy been doing all night?"

"Well, we worked on a jigsaw puzzle for an hour. Then, I made dinner and there are leftovers for you in the fridge."

"Wow," he smiled. "I've never come home to someone leaving me leftovers before."

She smiled in response, "after dinner, Lucy wanted me to read to her, so I grabbed one of your "Magic Treehouse" books off the shelf and read the whole thing to her. She fell asleep halfway through the ninth chapter. I guess I sort of fell asleep too."

"I tried calling you on my way home from work."

"I'm sorry. I fell asleep and I had my phone on vibrate so it wouldn't bother Lucy."

"That's alright," he said. "I just got a little worried that's all."

Spencer held onto Lucy as she stood up off the couch, "I'm going to put her to bed."

"I'll put some water on if you want some tea," he said.

"Yes, please."

While Toby got the water ready for tea, Spencer carried Lucy back to the bedroom. Tomorrow, the bed that Toby ordered should be coming and Lucy will have her own little room. After kissing her daughter goodnight, Spencer walked back into the kitchen where Toby stood pouring hot water into two mugs. She pressed her palms against the counter top and stood there watching. After a few more minutes, Toby removed the tea bags and handed Spencer her tea.

"Spence." She looked up from her teacup to lock eyes with him.

"Hmm? I'm sorry, did you say something before?"

"No," he shook his head. "It's just...If I tell you something, promise you won't get mad?"

She nodded, "I promise."

"While I was at work, I tried to do some digging on Lucy's father." This caused Spencer to look down. Toby continued.

"I understand you're not ready to talk about him or what he did, but I want to help you. I don't know how I'm supposed to help you if I don't know who you're hiding from. You don't even have to tell me the whole story or anything like that. I just need a name."

Spencer stared at her tea for a long time before looking up again. Toby didn't expect her to answer. Honestly, she could change the subject and he wouldn't blame her. He may not know what she went through, but he knows it was hard for her.

"I know you want answers," she spoke up quietly. "And I promise to give them to you. It's just now… I'm so worried about you getting hurt because of me."

"I get it," he said, reaching for her hand. "You don't have to worry about me. I'm more worried about you. It seems to me like you've never talked to anyone about this and if you need to. I want you to know you can tell me anything."

"I know that," she said, giving his hand a little squeeze. "It's just hard."

"Spence, I know what it's like to have things happen to me in this past and not wanting to tell anyone about it."

"You haven't told me about your past," she reminds him.

"I know." He let out a shaky laugh. "One thing we have in common is feeling hesitant about sharing our past with each other, but if it would help you to trust me more, I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Have you ever been married?"

"No," he laughed. "Not even close."

She laughed too, "I already trust you, Toby."

"Yeah, but I want to help you know more about me that way you'll feel more comfortable letting me in on your past."

She thought about it for a second then nodded, "okay."

They took their teacups into the living room and made themselves comfy on the couch. Toby opened up about a few things. He told her about the time he broke his arm when he was ten. He tried to impress a girl by proving he could climb a tree and ended up falling out of it. That was not one of his greatest moments.

"I'm sure your mother wasn't very happy to hear about you falling out of a tree," Spencer teased.

"No, actually she gave me a three-hour lecture to tell me how stupid I was being."

"She thought you were stupid for climbing that tree."

"No, she thought I was stupid for trying to impress some girl. She warned me to not ever try changing myself for anyone. If a person can't learn to like me for who I am then they're not worth it. She told me that one day some girl will come along and learn to accept me, and like me for who I am."

Spencer reached out for his hand, "I like you the way you are."

He smiled at her, "my mom must've been talking about you when she told me that."

"What about your dad?" She asked. "You haven't talked about him yet."

"My dad passed away when I was twelve years old."

"Oh, I'm sorry. What happened?"

"He died in a car accident. It was late spring and he tried to make it to my baseball game. My dad had this habit of working more than spending time with his family. He used to miss every single baseball game. I can still remember the right I had with my dad the night before that big game. Even my mother got upset that my dad couldn't make it. That day, he managed to get off of work early. He got in his car and hurried to make it to my baseball game. The reason he didn't tell me he was coming was because he wanted it to be a surprise."

"Oh my god," Spencer held a hand over her gaping mouth. "Toby, I'm so sorry."

He shook his head, "it's nobody's fault. Although, I did spend two to three years of my life blaming myself for it afterward. I spent a lot more time blaming the person who hit my dad. Then, I realize one day that I can't put the blame on anyone. It was an accident and they happen every single day. There are some things in life you just have to let go of and move on from. I won't ever forget my dad and it's always going to hurt a little, but I have to let it go."

Spencer put her arm around him and leaned her head against his shoulder, "you are pretty amazing, do you know that?"

"You're pretty amazing too."

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. When they pulled back, Spencer kept her eyes closed for an extra minute. She thought about everything he just told her. Toby trusts her enough to talk about his past. She should be able to do the same.

"Toby," she started. "About Lucy's father…"

"You don't have to talk about it if you're not ready."

"I-I know, but you were right. I should, at least, give you the guy's name," she took a deep breath. "Lucy's father is…"

"Mommy!"

Two heads turned to look at the closed door leading to the bedroom.

"Mommy!"

Spencer scrambled off the couch and down the hallway. The second she ran through the door, she found Lucy sitting up in bed. Tears were running down the little girl's face and her brown hair was sticking up all over the place. Spencer sat on the edge of the bed and drew Lucy into her arms, rocking her back and forth.

"I had a bad dream."

"It's okay, sweetie," Spencer soothed, kissing the top of her head.

Toby appeared at the doorway checking to make sure they're both okay. After a second, Spencer looked over Lucy's head at Toby. She nodded to let him know that Lucy's okay. After a minute or two, Lucy calmed down. Spencer let Lucy lay back on the bed and pulled the blankets back around her. Her brown eyes are still brimming with tears.

"You want to tell me about your dream?"

Lucy shook her head as more tears poured out of her eyes, "it was very bad."

Spencer cocked her head to the side, "I think talking about it would make you feel better. If you talk about it, you won't dream it again."

She sighed, "I dreamt that you and Toby weren't together anymore. That made me sad."

"Aw, sweetie."

"You and Toby still like each other, right?"

"Yes, of course," Spencer traced her hand along the little girl's cheek. "Everything is fine. It was just a bad dream."

"Can Toby sleep in here too?" Lucy asked.

"I...I don't know about that."

"It will make me feel better."

Spencer looked at Toby. He walked in and said.

"You think there's enough room for me?"

Lucy nodded, "I'm small, I don't take up much space."

Spencer laughed, "I beg to differ, kid. The last few nights you kept trying to kick me out of bed. We'll all fall asleep on this bed and wake up with little miss lying over us."

"Mommy," Lucy giggled.

"Alright," she gave in. "If Toby's okay with it, I'm okay with it."

"Toby's okay with it," he said, making his way into the room.

They both smiled. After changing into their pajamas, Spencer and Toby climbed into opposite sides of the bed with Lucy cozied up in the middle. They said their goodnights then drifted off into a deep slumber.

* * *

Bright sun and early birds are the best wakes up calls. Last night, Spencer and Toby went to sleep with Lucy sleeping nicely in between them. When the sun rose and peaked it's rays through the split in the curtain, Spencer began to wake. She felt something of lightweight leaning against her chest. When she looked, she caught Lucy lying with her head completely on top of her chest and her legs thrown over Toby's waist. Spencer had to laugh. Lucy looked like a tornado.

She wasn't too worried about how Toby would react when he woke up. She knew he wouldn't mind having a 30-pound girl lying across him. It's actually pretty darn cute. Half of Lucy is lying on Spencer and her other half is on Toby. After a couple minutes, Toby began to wake. He opened his eyes and looked down to catch Lucy's short legs flung across his waist. At first, he wasn't sure what to do about it until he looked over and saw Spencer smiling. He then smiled too and even chuckled.

"Sorry," Spencer whispered.

He shrugged and responded quietly, "It's okay."

"I told you she was a bed hog."

"It's really not a problem."

"I should get up and make breakfast."

Before she could move, Toby stopped her, "why don't I make breakfast this morning? You've been cooking breakfast every morning since you've moved in."

"I already told you I really don't have a problem cooking for you."

"I know and I don't mind you cooking either, but I also like doing things for you."

"Fine," Spencer gave in. "You can make breakfast, but I'm buying lunch today."

"Deal."

Toby got up to get started on making breakfast. Meanwhile, Spencer worked on getting Lucy up, out of bed, and dressed for the day. She does have to be at daycare today since Spencer has a meeting at 10 this morning. Toby has to train a new recruit, so he can't stay home with her. Neither of Spencer's friends can watch Lucy, so taking her to daycare is their only option.

"Juice?" Toby asked Lucy who sat at the table chewing on her waffles. The little girl nodded. He picked up her cup and filled it halfway up with orange juice. Moments later, the sound of Spencer's heels made it's way into the kitchen. She walked in wearing a black skirt, white blouse, with a black scarf. Toby held the pitcher of orange juice in one hand while he leaned into peck Spencer on the lips. Lucy didn't seem to notice since she was busy eating her breakfast.

"My boss said this meeting is mandatory and if I'm not there, I could be fired," Spencer said while rushing to grab a waffle off the plate.

"How long is the meeting?"

"Until 1 pm. It's a lunch meeting, so I guess I won't be buying lunch today after all."

"That's okay, we can go tomorrow."

"Yeah," Spencer walked over to grab pick up Lucy. "I better get going. It's 9:15, I have to be at work by 10 and I have to drop Lucy off at daycare."

"Have a good day," Toby told her.

Spencer smiled and walked over to him. She looked like she was getting ready to kiss him, but Lucy made a face.

"Please, no kissy."

Spencer laughed and covered her daughter's eyes before leaning into the press a sweet kiss on Toby's lips. He smiled and lightly kissed her back before allowing her to leave. Once it was over, Spencer uncovered Lucy's eyes and told her to put on her coat. Then, they were out the door.

* * *

 **Finally! I wrote another chapter. How long will it be until I update again? Well, I don't know. I have a three days of school next week and then I have Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, plus the whole week after that off for Spring Break. So, hopefully, I'll find time to update between now and then.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this little chapter. Next chapter, I'll try to work in another flashback. I may even throw in a flashback about Toby's past. Would you like to see a little bit of his past? Thank you for reading and as always, leave a review.**


	16. Chapter 16

_Up and down the halls of the college dorms, student's shouts and screams could be heard. As Toby made his way back to his dorm room, his ears and chest vibrated from the loud music. It seemed like every other door he passed by had music blasting on the other side. Tonight was Friday. Meaning it was the weekend. Most weekends at this college, you could find a hot party going on. It seemed like tonight Brian and Patrick were having one of their killer parties just two doors down from where Toby's room was._

 _Toby reached his door and was surprised that the door was already unlocked. His roommate must be here tonight which is actually strange. Normally his roommate would be partying it up with Brian and Patrick. He entered his dorm room and found his roommate sitting at his desk looking at something on his laptop. His roommate heard him enter and peeked over his shoulder for a millisecond._

" _Hey, man."_

" _Hey," Toby answered._

" _How was your date with Brooke?"_

 _Toby just looked up and shook his head. His roommate groaned at his roll of the head. Of course, the date didn't go well. For the past two months, his roommate had been trying to help him find a girlfriend. After what happened with Sabrina, Toby deserved some happiness. It seemed like every date Toby went on, they never seem to go well. Most of the girls he went out with were nice, but just not nice enough for Toby. That was his excuse anyway. His roommate thinks that Toby just looked for a reason not to date somebody new._

" _Toby, this is the ninth girl I've set you up within two months," his roommate said. "Are you ever going to find someone?"_

" _It just doesn't seem right."_

" _What doesn't seem right? Moving on doesn't seem right? Sabrina already moved on. It's been a year."_

" _This has nothing to do with Sabrina," Toby snapped. "Anyway, she moved on before we were broken up, remember?"_

" _Okay," his roommate said. "If you turning down all these amazing woman has nothing to do with Sabrina, then what's the problem?"_

" _If I tell you, you won't believe me."_

" _Try me."_

 _Toby sighed, "I just want to focus on my school work right now. Next year, I've decided to register at Harrisburg's police academy."_

 _His roommate looked at him like he had gone crazy. Who knows? Maybe he had gone me crazy. He then laughed at Toby's ridiculous idea._

" _Don't laugh," Toby said with a frown. "I got the papers for it yesterday and I join next September."_

" _I can't believe you're going to be a cop," he laughed._

" _Why's that so hard to believe? This has been something I've wanted to do for a long time."_

" _Okay, fine," his roommate laughed. "Chicks dig the uniform."_

" _I'm not doing this to get girls. I want to make a difference. Besides, I think I'm done with women for awhile."_

" _Woah, no man is done with women unless that guy's gay."_

" _Well, I am," Toby said. "After Sabrina, I've pretty much lost my trust in women."_

Off on the hilltop, in the green grass, Toby sat up watching Lucy running around. The sun had been burning bright and warm today. It wasn't too windy or too hot out that day. Spencer didn't have work that day and neither did Toby. Lucy had said she wanted to do something fun with just the three of them. Spencer suggested that they have a picnic outside. Toby knew the perfect place for that.

That Saturday, the three of them packed a basket and let Toby drive them to the perfect picnic spot. It was a clear grass area up on the hill. The ray's from the sun came streaming down on them and the sky was as clear as can be. From where they were seated, they could see the town of Rosewood below.

Lucy ran around laughing and playing in her little white sundress with pink flowers. Her two braids swung wildly behind her back when she ran. Toby was seated on the red and purple flannel blanket with Spencer curled up in his arms. Spencer had worn a white sleeveless top with a pair of short blue jeans. Her legs stuck out of her shorts looking long, tan, and smooth. Her beautiful brown eyes were hidden behind a pair of her black frame sunglasses. She hadn't done much with her hair, so it was just down. Her natural brown curls blew softly in the wind. The way the sun hit her skin gave her facial features an extra glow.

Sampson, ran alongside Lucy, wagging his golden, fluffy tail behind him. As time went by, Toby wished that this moment would last forever. He just wants to sit up here on the hilltop with Spencer in his arms while they watched Lucy play with Sampson under the warm sun.

"Hey, mommy!" Lucy shouted. "I caught a butterfly!"

The little girl ran back to the couple sitting on the blanket. She had both of her hands cupped together to keep the butterfly from flying away. The grin never left Lucy's face as she moved one of her hands to show them. When she did move her hand, a little blue butterfly flapped their wings and flew off into the wind. The grin on Lucy's face faded.

"Oh, no," the little girl cried. "It flew out of my hand. I'm sorry."

Spencer removed herself from Toby's hold to reach for her daughter's hand. She gave Lucy's hand a little tug and smiled.

"I saw the butterfly and it was beautiful."

"But it flew away," Lucy's eyes began to water.

"That's why they're called butterflies," Toby said."You see, butterflies are very busy, so they can't visit for long. They like to stop only to smell the flowers. Butterflies are actually very friendly. They fly around to meet nice, kids like you. They don't stay for long. Butterflies will stay on the palm of your hand for a bit and then fly off. I imagine that butterfly flew off to go tell all his amazing butterfly friends about how great Lucy was."

The smile on Lucy's face returned, "you think so?"

Toby nodded, "I do."

Spencer sat there with a smile on her face. He really had a way with children. Toby had always been a very attractive man, but there's just something about seeing him with children that made him incredibly attractive. When Lucy ran back to continue with her play, Spencer kissed Toby's cheek then curved her body to fit with his. His arms wrapped around her once again and he smiled.

"What was that for?" He asked.

Spencer shrugged, only a devious smile on her face, "can't a girl give her boyfriend a kiss just because?"

"She can," he pressed. "But that definitely had meaning behind it."

She angled her head back so she was looking at him, " because you're incredible."

Toby smiled and rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. He made sure Lucy wasn't watching before leaning down to kiss her softly. Toby wished now more than anything that he could capture this moment and make it last forever. What they didn't know then that this would be the calm before the storm.

* * *

"Lucy come to the table and finish your lunch."

"But Pooh Bear is on," Lucy whined.

"I told you to finish your lunch before you turned on the television."

Spencer walked over to turn the television off. Lucy sat on the floor and whined. Most days with Lucy are peaceful. She usually acts like a sweet little angel child. On other days, Lucy can be a real handful. It seemed like today would be one of those harder days. Toby hasn't been home since yesterday afternoon. He had a case to work on in Philly. He calls every four hours to check on them. He should be home at 9 tonight.

"Come on Lucy."

"No," Lucy crossed her arms.

"Do you want to go to your room?"

"No."

"Then finish your sandwich."

"No."

"Lucy," Spencer sighed and ran her hands down her face. "Can we please not do this? If you finish your sandwich, you can turn the t.v back on."

"I don't want that sandwich."

"Why not? It's peanut butter and jelly. You like peanut butter and jelly."

"It's not cut right."

Spencer titled her head, "what do you mean it's not cut right?"

"Toby cuts it into little triangles."

She sighed in defeat, "are you telling me that you didn't want to eat your sandwich because it's not cut into triangles?"

"That's how Toby did it."

Spencer had a lot to say about that, but she simply shook her head and smiled.

"You are one stubborn child."

"Just like my mom," Lucy grinned. "Or at least, that's what Toby says."

"Did Toby say that?" Spencer asked and Lucy nodded. "Well, mommy's going to have to have a word with Toby about that one."

"Is he in trouble?"

"Oh, he's gonna be." Spencer patted her daughter's hair and stood up. "I'll go cut your sandwich in a triangle."

After lunch, they two sat on the couch and watched Beauty And The Beast. When the movie ended, Lucy sat quietly on the couch working on reading and writing. Lucy is a lot like how Spencer was when she was Lucy's age. At four-years-old, Spencer would spend two hours everyday reading and writing. Lucy doesn't spend that much time, but she gets about an hour and half of work done. Her teacher says she's a very bright young girl and she often volunteers.

During Lucy's bathtime, Spencer got a call from her boss. That phone call contained some big news that she'll have to with Toby about later. After Lucy got dressed in her pajama's, Spencer tucked her into her twin size bed. During storytime, Lucy kept asking when Toby would get home and if he would say goodnight to her. Spencer finally got her settled down after assuring her that Toby would be here soon.

It was after 9 when Toby came home. Spencer was seated on the couch with a magazine on her lap. As soon as the door opened, she jumped up to meet him. Toby dropped his police bag on the floor by the counter. His eyes were slightly red with dark circles under them. His movements were slow and stiff.

"Hey," she smiled at him.

He smiled back and opened his arms up for her. She gladly dove in and wrapped her arms around him in a loving embrace. While he held her, Toby nuzzled his face into her hair and made sure to get a good whiff of her scent.

"I missed you," she said.

"I missed you too," he mumbled into her hair.

They took a step back. She kept her hands placed over each of his arms. Toby stood there for a minute or two just to get a good look at her. He missed looking into those brown eyes of hers.

"You look beautiful."

"And you look tired," she said.

He chuckled, "yeah, I guess I am a little tired. I've done nothing but work for close to forty-eight hours."

"That long," she frowned. "God, you must be exhausted."

"Yeah, I'm also hungry. The problem is I don't know if I should sleep or eat."

"You should do both."

"I will," Toby smiled before lowering his arms to her waist. "But first, I want to kiss my beautiful girlfriend."

He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. What started out as an innocent kiss, turned into a heated one. Spencer giggled in between pauses and said.

"You're not too tired to that I take it."

He kissed her hard on the lips and then smiled a big smile, "I'm never too tired for this."

She grinned and pressed her lips against his for another long kiss. After another minute or two, they finally broke apart. Both lovebirds were breathing heavily. It seemed like every time they kissed, they would break their record on how long they could hold their breath. Their lungs may burn for air, but everything else inside of them burns for each other.

"There's some leftover spaghetti in the fridge if you want any," she told him.

"Okay. Is there any garlic bread?"

"Um, not if you plan on kissing your girlfriend anymore tonight," she teased.

"I'll take that as a no."

Again, they both laughed.

"Is Lucy asleep already?" Toby asked.

"I think so, but I'm not too sure. She kept asking for you for most of the day. I had a hard time with her while you were gone. I guess you cutting her sandwich into triangles is the right way to do things versus how I've been doing it since she could chew."

Toby chuckled and began making his way down the hall to Lucy's room. He pushed the door open a little just enough that he could peak in. Lucy lay flat on her stomach looking just a cozy as can be. He watched her light breathing as she slept. Just when he was about to close the door and head back out, Lucy turned her head. Her tiny eyes fluttered open and started to adjust to the tall figure standing in her doorway. She used her elbows to set herself up in bed.

"Toby?" The little girl rubbed her eyes.

Toby opened the door back up and entered her room. He squatted down on the ground right by her bed so he was eye level with her.

"Hey, you should be asleep."

"I missed you," she replied in a sleepy voice.

"I missed you too. Were you good for your mom while I was away?"

The little girl nodded, "yes."

"Good."

Lucy was too tired to keep herself up, so she laid her head back down on her pillow. Her eyes felt heavy as she struggled to keep them open. Toby chuckled softly and brushed the brown hair out of her small face.

"Get some sleep," he whispered.

"Okay." Lucy shut her eyes and tilted her head down into her pillow. Her breathing turned light again. Toby removed the rest of her hair out of her face. He then leaned in and pressed a feather like kiss on top of Lucy's head.

"Goodnight, Lucy goose," he whispered.

"Goodnight, daddy," she whispered with her eyes still shut.

Toby felt his heart warm just from hearing those words come out of her mouth. Now, he's not Lucy's father but he sure acts like one. He smiled at the little girl even though he knew she couldn't she it. He rose back to his normal height and slowly backed out of the room.

* * *

 **Who else got the feels by reading this chapter? I've been waiting to write Lucy calling Toby daddy since I started this thing. Next chapter will be a big one for Spoby. Did you like that flashback I showed of Toby? You can expect to read more of those throughout the story. There won't be too many, but some. Also, what do you think Spencer's big news is? Take a wild guess and add it to your review. Until next time my dearies. (:**


	17. Chapter 17

**Class is out which means back to work with writing and updating.**

* * *

Lucy was too tired to keep herself up, so she laid her head back down on her pillow. Her eyes felt heavy as she struggled to keep them open. Toby chuckled softly and brushed the brown hair out of her small face.

"Get some sleep," he whispered.

"Okay." Lucy shut her eyes and tilted her head down into her pillow. Her breathing turned light again. Toby removed the rest of her hair out of her face. He then leaned in and pressed a feather like kiss on top of Lucy's head.

"Goodnight, Lucy goose," he whispered.

"Goodnight, daddy," she whispered with her eyes still shut.

Toby felt his heart warm just from hearing those words come out of her mouth. Now, he's not Lucy's father but he sure acts like one. He smiled at the little girl even though he knew she couldn't see it. He rose back to his normal height and slowly backed out of the room.

Spencer was standing at the edge of their bed pulling the covers back when Toby walked in. She showered not too long ago, so her hair is damp and straight. Even though it's a bit chilly tonight, Spencer wore a tight white tank top and a pair of plaid pajama pants. Toby walked over to his closet and took his shirt off. Spencer looked just in time to see his back muscles. _Good god._ Her mouth hung open slightly and she's sure a bit of slobber dripped from the corner of her lips.

"If you keep your mouth open like that," Toby spoke. "Bugs will fly in."

She hadn't even noticed that he finished getting changed into his navy blue undershirt and boxer shorts. He stepped out of the closet and closed the door behind him. He couldn't stop the smirk on his face. Spencer's cheeks were as red as roses. Instead of apologizing she replied with a smirk of her own.

"Don't act like you've never tried to sneak a peek at me."

His smirk turned into a shy smile. It's possible he's turned his head in her direction during certain times. He could either confirm or deny that. He took a seat on his side of the bed and watched Spencer rub lotion along her arms and legs. Of course, she made a note to tease him by arching her leg up on the bed and rubbing them slowly.

"Are you trying to seduce me or something?"

She laughed, "depends, is it working?"

"A little bit."

She chuckled and plopped down on the bed. Toby sat there looking at her for a long moment. Thoughts from earlier that night kept running through his mind. He kept hearing Lucy's voice repeating itself in the back of his mind. _Goodnight, daddy._ He wasn't sure if he should mention that to Spencer or not. Who knows how she'd react to that? Spencer and Lucy have been staying with him for awhile now. Toby has done a lot to help care for Lucy lately. He could see why Lucy would assume it was okay to call him daddy. It dawned on him that Lucy probably doesn't even know what a daddy is. From what she's seen from her allies at her school, a daddy is somebody who cares about you, takes care of you, and loves you unconditionally. Yes, it's true, Toby does love that child as if she were his own. But, sadly, he was not Lucy's father. Not yet anyway…

Meanwhile, deep in Spencer's thoughts, she realized that she never told Toby the big news. She got a call today that could possibly change both of their lives. A part of her is excited for this, but most of her are conflicted on what to do.

"I take it you said goodnight to Lucy," she spoke.

"Yeah, she seemed happy to see me."

"Well," Spencer sent him a smile. "She likes you so, of course, she would be happy to see you. I honestly can't blame her. Who wouldn't want to look into those blues before going to sleep?"

He smiled back at her, "I prefer your brown eyes, but I see where you're coming from. Lucy actually said something to me tonight that I think you'd be interested to hear. Actually, I'm not sure how you'll react."

"What did she say?"

"When I was walking out of the room after saying goodnight to her, Lucy said 'goodnight daddy.' I-I wasn't sure if I should tell you this or not."

"She called you dad?"

"Yeah, um I don't know what your thoughts are on that."

"Well, it makes sense that she would think you were her dad. You're the only father like figure that's been there for her. How do you feel about this?"

"Honestly, I don't know," he admitted with a smile. "For a second, I felt this warm feeling inside. You know that I do love Lucy and you as if you guys were my own family."

She smiled at him, "good."

"Now that Lucy's asleep, I think it's time we got to sleep." Spencer nodded in agreement. She leaned over and kissed him goodnight. Then, she rolled over to lay on her side and fell asleep with Toby spooning her from behind.

* * *

Afternoons at the park are usually Lucy's favorite time of the day. She's out of class and gets to spend an hour with her friends. Spencer is usually over on a park bench talking to her friend's parents. Lucy never knows what they talk about, but it's usually some series grown-up talk.

"Push me on the swing, Matt!" Lucy demanded.

Matthew shook his head and plopped down in the sandbox, "no."

Lucy got up from the swing and growled, "lazy butt."

"Hey!" Matthew cried. "You call me names and I tell on you!"

"You better not!" Lucy yelled.

Matthew stood up, "I tell your mommy!"

Lucy shoved Matthew down in the sandbox. Matthew sat on the ground for a minute and whined. Once he got back up, he wiped his tears and ran to tell his mommy.

Spencer took another sip out of her bottle water and looked up at the clouds. She's here with her daughter, Hanna, and Hanna's son. After the girls pick their children up from preschool slash day-care, they bring them to the park. Spencer just told Hanna the news she got the other night and wondered what she thought about it. This news was big and could change a lot of things.

"Have you told Toby the news yet?" Hanna asked.

Spencer shook her head, "no, I never got the chance to."

"You should've told him last night."

"I know, but I just didn't know how."

"How about starting off with 'Toby I…"

"Mommy!" Hanna got interrupted by her crying son running towards them. As expected, Lucy came running behind him. Based on the look on her daughter's face, Spencer knew she did something to get herself in trouble.

"Mommy!" Matthew cried again.

Hanna reached out for her son and held him up on her lap, "what is it, babe?"

Lucy walked over to Spencer and said, "whatever he's about to tell you is a lie."

"No!" Matthew argued. "Lucy's being mean!"

"I am not!" Lucy argued.

"Are too!"

"Alright, alright," Spencer cut in. "One at a time."

Hanna looked at her son, "go ahead, babe. Tell us what happened."

"Lucy called me lazy butt and then she pushed me down."

"Did not!" Lucy cried.

"You did too!"

"Liar!"

"Lucy!" Spencer cut in. "Why did you push Matthew?"

"He wouldn't push me on the swing because he's a lazy butt."

"No!" Matthew cut in. "I'm not!"

"You are!"

"Lucy that's enough," Spencer said. "Now, apologize to Matthew for calling him names and pushing him down."

"I can't apologize. I don't know what apologize means."

Spencer sighed, "tell him you're sorry."

"No!" Lucy screamed.

"Lucy," She spoke in a firm voice. "Either let Matthew know you're sorry and play with him nicely or we're going home."

"No home!"

"Then apologize to Matthew."

"No!"

"Okay, on the count of three we're going home unless you tell Matthew you're sorry. One…" Lucy crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Two…" Again, Lucy just shook her head and refused.

"Three," Lucy said nothing. Spencer got up from the bench and took Lucy's hand.

"Okay, we're going home."

"No!" Lucy screeched and yanked her hand away.

"I'm really sorry about this, Han," Spencer ignored her daughter's protest.

Hanna just shrugged and said, "children will be children."

"Yeah," she forced a laugh. "See you later Matthew."

"Say goodbye to Spencer," Hanna told her son.

Matthew waved his tiny hand and said, "bye Spency."

Lucy parked her bottom on the sidewalk so Spencer couldn't make her walk. Spencer sighed and picked Lucy up. Lucy started screaming in protest. Going home is going to be fun.

Lucy kicked and cried the whole way back to Toby's house. Thankfully, Toby wasn't home yet so he wouldn't be here to witness Lucy during one of her temper tantrums. When Spencer carried Lucy through the front door, Lucy kept wiggling around in Spencer's arms.

"Put me down, mommy!" Instead of putting her down, she carried Lucy back to her bedroom and set her on the bed. Spencer kneeled down in front of Lucy so she was eye-level.

"You want to tell me what happened at the park today?"

"You're mean, mommy!" Lucy shouted.

"Lucy," Spencer closed her eyes and sighed.

Lucy stuck her tongue out at her, "mean mommy!"

"Alright," Spencer tried to lay Lucy down. "I think it's nap time."

"No!" Lucy smacked Spencer's hand away. "No nap."

"Do not hit me Lucy. Lay down on your bed."

"No!"

Spencer ran her hands down her face, "Lucy can you please not do this."

"I want my daddy!" She cried.

Spencer looked at her daughter and wasn't sure if she should be hurt by that or not. She knows that Lucy's father is out of the picture. There's no way he's ever getting back in. However, there is Toby, but Lucy also knows that Toby's not really her father. Spencer wasn't sure if she was referring to her real father or Toby.

"Daddy's not here. Just lay down."

"No! You're not daddy!"

"Daddy can't be here right now, so just listen to your mother right now."

"I hate you, mommy! I want my daddy!"

That struck a nerve. Spencer tried her best to ignore her daughter's hurtful words. She knew Lucy didn't mean it. She knows it's because Lucy's tired and cranky, but it still hurt. It took another ten minutes to get Lucy to lay down. Then another five minutes for her to fall asleep. As soon as Lucy shut her eyes, Spencer got up and left the room.

An hour later, Toby returned to the house with two bags. He walked in to find Spencer lying on her back on the couch in the living room. She appeared to have a white washcloth over her face so she probably didn't see him enter the room. She must've heard him come, though, but she still didn't move from her spot. Toby set the bags on the counter then walked over to the couch where she lay.

"Spence," he poked her. He cracked a little smile, "did Lucy wear you out?"

Spencer very slowly removed the damp washcloth from over her face. Toby's smile faded when he noticed the dried up mascara running along her cheek. He took a seat on the coffee table so he was close to her.

"What's wrong?"

She sat up on the couch, "I'm failing."

"What?"

"As a parent. As a mother. As a single parent. I'm failing all three."

"What are you talking about? You're a great mother."

"I've given my life and soul in order to give my daughter everything. I've managed to give her a good home, food, clothes, and a good education. I can give her all those things but there's just that one thing I can't give her that every little girl ever wants in life...a father. That's what she wants and I can't give her that. Because I can't give her that one thing, I feel like I've failed."

"Spencer," Toby got her to look at him. "You've given everything you could to Lucy. You've given her more than any father could give her. You love Lucy and you've kept her safe. You're a great mother. This is coming from someone who was basically raised by his dad."

"Lucy may be okay with just having a mother right now, but what about when her school decides to throw a father-daughter dance? She's not going to hear the words "daddy's little girl." When she gets married, who would walk her down the aisle?"

"That's not what Lucy's going to always think about. She's going to think about you, her mother the one who's given her everything. The one who's protected her since birth. You're not failing. Not even close to it. Lucy loves you and you know that."

"I know, but as hard as I try to convince myself and her, Lucy needs a father."

"Maybe someday Lucy will finally get her father, but for now, you're what she has and that's good enough."

"I guess you're right. Speaking of daughters," Spencer got up from the couch. "I should go wake her up from her nap."

Toby leaned forward to kiss her forehead, "I'll get dinner started."

She caught his hand, "Toby wait. Could you get Lucy? I think she would be happier seeing you."

"Spencer…" He tried to protest.

She patted his hand, "it's fine. Go on ahead."

Toby hesitated before nodding and getting off the coffee table. He crept slowly down the hall to Lucy's room. When he came into her room, Lucy lay on her bed lightly sleeping. Toby stood by her bed and reached a hand out to wake her up. The little girl's eyes opened immediately.

"Mommy?" Lucy mumbled.

"No," Toby sighed.

Lucy sat up in bed, "mommy usually wakes me up from my nap. Mommy hates me now."

"Your mommy does not hate you. She loves you a lot. I wanted to wake you up."

"I've been a bad girl today."

"We all have bad days. Your mommy is going to forgive you because she loves you. You want to go see her now?" Lucy nodded.

"Okay."

Lucy hopped down from her bed. Toby held her hand and walked with her to the family room. Across the room in the kitchen, Spencer stood at the counter looking over a cookbook. She felt the presence of someone and turned around. Toby stood a foot away from her with Lucy holding his hand.

"Hi mommy," Lucy smiled shyly.

Spencer smiled back half-heartedly," hey."

Lucy bit down on her bottom lip. She dropped Toby's hand and walked over to Spencer. Spencer dropped to her knees and held her arms out for her daughter. Lucy fell into her mommy's arms and held her tight. Spencer wrapped her arm around Lucy's back and gripped the back of her head with the other hand.

"I don't hate you mommy."

"No, I know." Spencer felt a tear slip from the corner of her left eye.

"I sorry. I love you, mommy."

"I know," she kissed her daughter's hairline. "I love you too baby."

For dinner, Toby and Spencer worked together to make Mac and cheese which was one of Lucy's favorites. The sat and had a decent conversation. Spencer still didn't tell Toby her news. She decided to wait and tell him tomorrow night on their date.

"Is aunt Emily coming over tomorrow night while you two date?" Lucy asked.

"Actually, Aria will be over tomorrow night. Uncle Ezra took Layla to his parent's place for the weekend, so Aria will hang out with you tomorrow."

"While you two date."

"Yes," Spencer clarified.

"Are you going to kiss and tell each other you love each other?" Lucy asked with a goofy grin.

Spencer smiled back at her and said, "maybe."

"But boys have cooties."

Spencer grinned at her daughter before nodding at Toby, "yes they do."

"You can't kiss Toby if he has cooties."

"Hey," Toby said. "I don't have cooties."

"Yes, you do," Lucy argued. "You're a boy and all boys have them."

"I think girls are the ones who have cooties," Toby teased.

Spencer scuffled, "girls don't have cooties."

"Yeah huh," he said. "Girl cooties."

"Only boys have cooties," Lucy said.

"Alright," Spencer laughed. "It's time for bed."

"Fine," Lucy sighed.

Spencer helped Lucy change into her princess nightgown and tucked her into bed. She kissed her daughter good night then went to hers and Toby's room. Toby stood shirtless in the bedroom with his pajama pants on. Spencer's cheeks flushed as she walked over to him. She held onto his bare arms and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. Toby pecked her lips twice before smiling and pulling away.

"I thought I had cooties?" He smirked.

"You do," she teased and leaned closer to him. "But I'll take my chances."

* * *

 **Spencer will tell Toby her news in the next chapter. In the meantime, don't forget to review this chapter.**


	18. Chapter 18

Spencer stood in front of the mirror applying red lipstick on her face. After finishing touch ups on her makeup, she ran her hands down her thick curls and smoothed her hands down the length of her cream lace dress. Tonight is a special date night for Spencer and Toby. Tonight marks their sixth month anniversary of being a couple. Toby made dinner plans at this nice restaurant where they had to dress semi-formal. Spencer put on a cream-colored lace dress with a black blazer. She wore a pair of black suede heels with no tights or stockings. Toby just stepped out of the bathroom wearing a dark blue dress shirt with a dark gray coat and medium blue tie, and gray khakis.

"It's almost 6:45 and our dinner reservations are at 7," Toby said.

"I hope we won't be late."

"Don't worry, we'll get there on time," he stopped to take a look at her. "Wow," he smiled. "You look amazing."

"Thank you," she stepped up to kiss him on the cheek and giggled at the red lipstick stain left on his cheek.

"You ready to go?" He asked.

"Almost."

They left the bedroom and entered the family room. Lucy was sitting criss-cross on the floor in front of the coffee table with a few cards tucked away in her hand. Aria was seated on the couch across from her with the same number of cards in her hand.

"Do you have any trees?" Lucy asked.

Aria smiled, "do you mean threes?"

She nodded, "that's what I said."

"Yes, I have a three."

Aria handed Lucy her three of hearts. Lucy paired the three of hearts with her thread of diamonds.

"We're leaving now," Spencer announced.

Aria looked up from her cards, "okay, have fun."

"We plan on it," Toby said.

"Luc, can mommy get a hug before she leaves?" Spencer asked.

Lucy set her cards down and got up to hug her mother. Spencer kneeled down to hug her and kiss her daughter's cheek. Lucy then gave Toby a little hug which he gladly returns. Then, she returned to her seat on the floor in front of the coffee table.

"We'll be back no later than 11 probably," Spencer told Aria. "Make sure Lucy doesn't watch any television after eleven. Bedtime is at 8:30, so she should be in bed no later than 9 o'clock."

"Spence, I got this," Aria said.

"I'm just running through things," she said. "This is your first time babysitting without Ezra or one of the girls here with you."

"I'll be fine. We'll be fine. Go out and have fun with Toby."

"Okay," Spencer whispered one last time. "Call if you need anything."

Toby put a hand on Spencer's shoulder to lead her to the door.

"Don't come back pregnant," Aria teased once they were halfway out the door.

"Aunt Aria," Lucy asked after the door shut.

"Yes, sweetpea?"

"How do people get pregnant?"

"Um, well," Aria sat there with her mouth open not knowing how to explain it. "It's a process down between two people. A man and a woman have a special talk alone. Once they come to an agreement, they're visited by a special little gift growing inside a woman's belly. It takes about nine months for the baby to grow and then when the time comes, a baby boy or girl comes into the world."

"Oh," Lucy said. "How do you know a baby will be a boy or a girl? Who makes that decision?"

"Well, in most cases, the father does."

"So my daddy got to decide if I were a boy or girl?"

Aria nodded, "that's right."

"What's the difference between boys and girls?"

"Well, men can grow facial hair while women tend to be cleaner."

"And boys have the cooties, right?"

Aria nodded laughing, "right. Does that answer all of your questions?"

"Sort of. Can boys get pregnant?"

"No," Aria said. "Only girls can. Well, not all girls can get pregnant."

"Why not?" Lucy asked, tilting her head.

"For some girls, it's just not possible. There are some complications that prevent them, but that doesn't mean they could never have a baby. They could adopt a child and there are other options a girl can do."

"How do you pick names for people?"

"Most of the time the parents name their child. They'll usually pick a name that they feel suits someone. They might name you after a family relative or someone they look up to. Like my mom wanted to name me Aria because that was my grandmother's middle name."

"Why do you think my mommy decided to name me Lucy?"

"I don't know," Aria shrugged. "I guess she just liked that name for you."

"I like the name too. When I'm old enough, I'm going to name my child Candy."

Aria laughed, "I think that's an interesting name for a child."

* * *

Table for two I presume," a man wearing a white shirt, black pants, a tux coat, and a tie greeted them at the entrance.

Toby nodded to the man, "Yes."

"Right this way."

The couple followed the tall man to a table far off into the corner of the room. They weren't seated too close to anybody so it wouldn't be too loud for them. Lucky for Spencer they weren't seated under any air vents where the cold air would hit her. They're about two tables away from a window looking out at the small town of Rosewood.

"Can I start you out with a bottle of wine?"

"Um," he looked at Spencer and she shook her head. He turned back to the waiter and said, "no."

"Alright," the waiter, who's name card read Brim, flipped his black notepad open. "What drinks can I start you guys off with?"

"Water for me please," Spencer said.

"And water works for me," Toby said.

"Alright, if you need a moment to decide what you want, I'll be back with your drinks."

"Thank you."

"No wine tonight?" Toby questioned.

Spencer smiled, "I make it an effort not to drink when Lucy's at home."

He nodded, "that's understandable."

Brim returned carrying two crystal glasses of water on a silver plate. He set the drinks down in front of each of them. He got his pad back out ready to take their order.

"Do you guys need another minute or are you ready to order?"

Toby eyed Spencer before nodding, "I think we're ready."

"I'll have the chef grilled chicken salad with Italian dressing on the side and a baked potato," Spencer ordered.

"And for you young sir?" Brim asked.

"I'll have the grilled chicken with lemon and a baked potato also."

"Very well," Brim wrote down their orders then took their menus. "Your food will be out as soon as it's ready."

After the waiter left, Spencer reached for her glass of water and took a small sip. Toby sat across from her watching her with ease. She set her glass back down and tucked her hand under her chin. When she saw him staring at her, she smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing," he smiled. "You're beautiful and I just like looking at you."

"Okay," she laughed. "I'm glad you brought me here tonight. This place is great."

"Yeah, I really like it too."

She reached across the table for his hand, "I can't believe it's really been six months. I've never had a man stick around for this long before."

"Well, like my own mother says, I'm not like other men. Besides, I love you and I don't plan on going anywhere."

She smiled, "I love you too." Just then she remembered she had some important news to share with him. Right when she was about to get it out in the open, the waiter came in with their food. Spencer pulled her hand away from his so Brim could set the plates out in front of them.

"Enjoy your meal," Brim said, nodding at them.

"I know we agreed to not getting a gift for each other, but I saw this in a store the other day and thought it would be perfect for you."

Toby reached into his pocket and pushed a black velvet box in front of her. She set her fork down and picked up the box. Inside the box was a heart shaped rose gold locket. The metal glistened underneath the light of the chandler. She used her fingers to get the locket open. Inside the locket on one of the hearts, there's a picture of her daughter playing in the sand box at the park looking up with the biggest grin on her face. Spencer felt her heart melt and a smile warmed her face. She looked at Toby and giggled.

"So you casually walked through a jewelry store one day, saw this locket, and thought to buy it. Then you took the cutest picture of my daughter and decided to have it sized to fit in this locket to give to me on our sixth month anniversary?"

Toby shrugged and smiled shyly, "Isn't it funny the way things turn out?"

"Oh it's just a scream," she smiled at him. "I love it thank you." She leaned across the table to peek his lips.

"To be fair," he said. "I got that before we agreed to the no gift thing."

She rolled her eyes, "yeah I'm sure."

For the remainder of the evening, they made small talk back and forth. Toby talked about what's been going on at wor. Spencer informed him on the day she had at the library and then what she did with Lucy when they got home. While talking about her daughter, she began to wonder what Lucy could be going right now with Aria. The two have a lot in common. They're both really into art and poetry. That's right. At the age of four, Lucy is already interested in poetry. She may not understand it because she's so young. Spencer would read poems to her all the time before bed.

After Toby paid for their meal, they got back into the car and drove home. The radio played softly in the background. Spencer looked down and started playing with the locket between her fingers. They pulled up into the driveway of the house and sat in the car for a while talking. They figured they'd give themselves a few more minutes of time alone before heading inside. Then, Toby couldn't help himself when he leaned in for a quick kiss. Spencer smiled into the kiss and held his face to keep it going. The next thing they knew, they were indulging in a very intense make out session.

Spencer paused their makeout session to take off the blazer part of her outfit. She carelessly threw it behind her into the backseat then swung herself over so she was straddling Toby's lap. He smiled at her, went back to kissing her while running his hands up and down her body. They continued to make out fiercely. When Spencer tried adjusting herself on his lap so she could take off his shirt, she bounced up too high and hit her head on the roof of the car.

"Ow!" Again, they paused their makeout session. Spencer rubbed the top of her head and held her other hand against Toby's chest. Toby couldn't help the snort that came out of him as he smiled.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm fine. Let's continue."

She connected their lips and moaned as his tongue found a way into her mouth. They scrambled around trying to get his shirt off while making out. Spencer accidentally bopped Toby in the face when she pulled his shirt up.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she rubbed his chin.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," he said, before going back into kissing her once more.

Their breaths mingled and their tongues swirled together. Once again, Spencer got a little ahead of herself and banged her head against the car window. This time, she really had to pause their makeout.

"Okay, ow," she touched her forehead.

Toby sighed and allowed her to climb off of him and sit back in her seat. They both sat there for a minute or two trying to catch their breath.

"Um, I don't think trying to have our first time in a car was the best idea," she said.

He gave her a look, "seriously?"

She looked at him and nodded with a smile, "I mean that's kind of where I thought we were headed. Weren't you?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "Part of me thought so but another part of me wasn't sure what you were thinking."

"I was thinking, do you think Aria would notice that my hair's messed up and my lipsticks smeared all over your face afterward?"

He chuckled and laid a hand on hers, "I wasn't expecting it to happen in the car. I mean, I do have protection on hand just in case, but."

"Yeah, I get it," she took a breath. "I want it to happen. I'm ready to. It's just, Lucy is always home the same time we are and it's not always easy to get her a babysitter. I have my friends, but they have children of their own to and lives to live. I just thought doing it in the car would be a perfect time. You know, because we're alone and… It was a stupid thought. I'm sorry."

"No, no," he rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand. "It wasn't. I'm ready for it to happen to and you're right. We can't do it when Lucy's in the house and it is hard to find time."

She looked at him hard, giving him a soft smile, "god, I want you so bad. Why do you have to make yourself so damn irresistible?"

He laughed, "I could ask you the same question. We should probably head inside now."

"Toby, hold on a second," she touched his hand.

Toby pulled the car door back closed and looked at her, "you really want to continue trying to do it in the car? One of us could end up getting a concussion."

"No," she laughed. "Though, depending on how good you are, it might be worth it. I actually have something that I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"Last week I got a call about a job offer. There's this new library opening up and they would like me to be in charge of it."

A huge smile spread across his face, "Spencer that's great!"

She smiled in agreement, "yeah, it is."

"Well, have you told Lucy?"

"I spoke to her a little about it, but I haven't told her everything. The library is in Philly, so if I wanted to work there, I'd have to move."

"Oh," Toby sunk back in his seat. "Well, Philly's not too far."

"Yeah, I know. It's just, Lucy likes it here in Rosewood and I'm just not sure about moving her away. Plus, her friends live in Rosewood. We could continue living here in Rosewood, but I'm afraid I don't want to drive two hours to work every day."

"Yeah, I get that. This job offer is really good, though. You would be running your own library. You'd be in charge and it would be the best one in Philly."

She tilted her head towards him and gave him a look.

"What?" He shrugged.

"I don't get it," she shook her head. "Why are you so calm about this? If I take this job, that would mean I'd have to move out of your house and away from you. You wouldn't be seeing me every day or Lucy."

"Because this job is important to you. Yeah, I may enjoy my life in Rosewood, but I wouldn't mind relocating to Philly. I mean, I've relocated before I'm sure they'd let me do it again. That is if you want me there."

"I do want you there, but Toby, you don't have to move because of me. If you really want to be in Rosewood then…"

"What I want is to be with you. Just like you said tonight, we've been together for six months. I think things are really going somewhere between us. I don't want to end it now just because of two hours of driving comes between us. I want to be with you because I love you and I'm not ready to let go." He touched her face and held her chin. "Not now. Not ever."

She smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him softly and sweetly.

"I love you," he whispered against his lips. "Are you sure about this? Are you sure you're okay with me taking this job and following me to Philly?"

"Spencer, at this point, I'd follow you all the way to China if necessary."

A huge grin fanned out on her face. She held his face tightly between her hands and kissed him hard. She pulled away from the kiss and played with the sideburns on his face. They held their heads against each other for a long time.

"I'll talk more to Lucy about this tomorrow."

He nodded and said, "okay."

She moved her eyes up to meet his and smiled. His eyes sparkled and he smiled back at her. Things just might end up turning out well for them after all. Or will they?

* * *

 **Now you know what Spencer's news is. Do you think things will work out between them or will something get in the way? How will Lucy react to the news? Will Spencer and Toby ever get their special moment? Keep reading to find out and as always, don't forget to review.**


	19. Chapter 19

At 2:30pm on Thursday, Spencer stood in front of the mirror working on fixing her scarf. That morning, Spencer woke up and put on a pair of black pants and a grayish blue blouse. She took dark gray scarf out from the top dresser drawer and wrapped it around her shoulders. She fixed her hair in beautiful thick curls. There was a shuffle of footsteps. Toby walked through the doorway and came to stand behind Spencer.

"Hey," he placed a kiss on the curve of her jaw line. "You look beautiful today. Not that it's different from any other day."

He kissed her jaw again and she smiled. Toby put one hand on her waist and used his free hand to move her curls from over her neck. He leaned in, pressed his soft lips against the warm skin on her neck. Spencer's lips turned into a wide smile. She giggled at the way Toby's breath felt against her skin. It caused a deep moaning sound to emerge from deep within her throat. Toby would've gone further if it weren't for the much littler footsteps emerging in the bedroom.

"What are you doing?"

Spencer bit down on her bottom lip and Toby stepped away. They both turned to find Lucy standing in the doorway. She was dressed in a light blue dress that touched the knees and snow white stockings. Her hair was held together with a blue butterfly clip.

"Lucy," Spencer brushed her curls back behind her ears. "Um, is Emily here yet?"

The little girl shook her head, "what was Toby doing to your neck, mommy? Was he sucking your blood? Is he a vampire?"

"No," Spencer let out a short laugh before walking over to kneel in front of her daughter. "Um, do you have all your stuff ready for your weekend at Emily's?"

She nodded, "yup and I got my stuffed bunny ready to go too."

"Very good," Spencer played with a strain of her daughter's hair. "Now, you understand why Toby and are going on this road trip, right?"

Lucy nodded, "to check the new house."

"That's right. We'll be back Sunday afternoon to pick you up after the picnic at Emily's, alright?"

"Okay, mommy."

"Okay."

Spencer kissed her daughter's forehead then stood up to her full height. The doorbell rang and Lucy cried out that she'd get it, and ran off towards the door. They heard the door open followed by the cheerful voices of Emily and Lucy greeting each other. Toby and Spencer walked out into the family room to find Lucy showing Emily the bunny Toby got for her this Monday. It's a white stuffed bunny with a pink bow on top of it's head. Lucy hasn't slept without since Toby got it for her. When Spencer found out that Toby bought a stuffed bunny for her daughter, she wanted to do nothing more than to thank him personally. Really _thank_ him. Out of respect for Lucy, they didn't do anything that Monday night. They just heavily made out for quite some time.

"You ready to go?" Toby asked before slipping a hand on Spencer's shoulder.

"Yeah."

This weekend, Spencer and Toby are going to check out the house they're thinking about buying for when they move. They saw the house online and thought it looked nice. That's why they decided to take a little road trip to see the whole house. Spencer wants to make sure the neighborhood is safe and that it's a good place for Lucy to live in. Toby took Spencer's bag and carried it out to his truck for her. Lucy ran back to her bedroom to get her own suitcase. That left Emily and Spencer alone to talk for a moment.

"Are you sure you're ready for this," Emily asked.

"Ready for what?" Spencer asked while putting on her brown leather jacket.

"To leave Lucy with Ali and I. You know this is the first time being away from her."

"This isn't the first time."

Emily nodded," this is the first time going away without her. Sure, Lucy's spent the night without you a few times, but you were always in place where you could rush back to her within five minutes."

Spencer sighed," it will be fine. Lucy understands why she can't come with us. She's totally cool with staying with you guys for a weekend. Lucy's also can't wait to see the house."

"But are you okay with leaving her?" Emily asked. "It's never too late to change your mind and just take her with you."

"I don't love the idea of not bringing my daughter with me, but I'm fine. It's going to be fine. It was my idea for her to stay with you for a weekend while Toby and I check out that house."

"Okay. Well, Alison and I will take great care of Lucy. She's going to be in good hands."

"I know she will be," Spencer picked up her purse off the counter. "I'll call you guys during the car ride and when we get to the motel." Emily nodded. Lucy came back with her suitcase and bunny, ready to go. Toby came back in the house.

"Lucy, why don't you say goodbye to Toby before going with Emily." Lucy walked over to where Toby stood and wrapped her arms around his legs. Since Lucy is a small girl and Toby is a very tall man, Lucy only reaches up to about a little over half his legs. Toby smiled and kneeled down so he was at eye level with her.

"You'll be a good girl while we're gone, right?" Toby questioned, already knowing the answer.

Lucy smiled a little smile and nodded, "I'll be good."

Toby held up his pinky and said, "do you promise?"

Lucy tied her pinky around Toby's, laughing, "promise."

"Alright good." Lucy leaned forward and hugged Toby as tightly as a little girl could hug a person. Spencer chewed on her bottom lip and smiled at the interaction. After their hug, Lucy walked over to her mother who gave her a big hug and kiss. Lucy nodded at everything Spencer told her and double promised to be a good girl. Emily took Lucy's suitcase for her and walked Lucy to Emily's medium blue Tovota Yaris. Spencer blew her daughter a kiss while and waved at her as they drove by.

"You ready?" Toby came up beside Spencer and touched her shoulder.

She nodded, "yeah."

Toby walked her to her side of the truck and opened the door for her. With a helping hand, Spencer stepped up into the truck and took her seat. Toby shut her door then circled around to the drivers side. They started out by driving in silence with the radio playing softly in the background.

Wanted by Hunter Hayes began playing. A bit of a chill ran through Spencer's body. Two hours have gone by and they're getting closer to their destination. As it got later in the day, the sun began shining right in front of Toby's face. He had sunglasses on, but the sun still shone very bright. The windows were open a little, sending a cool breeze through their hair.

"Are we good on gas?" She asked, once they hit a red light.

"Uh, we're getting a little low."

"There's a gas station about a quarter mile up this road."

"Perfect."

The light changed from red to green and the truck was moving again. They pulled up next to a pump at a nearby gas station. They have another half hour to go, so Spencer would to get out to stretch her legs for a bit. Toby started to dig through his wallet for money, but Spencer stopped him.

"I got this."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded," yeah. I gotta pee anyway, so why don't you pump the gas and I'll go pay inside."

"Okay." Spencer gets out of the passenger seat and walks through the door. The gas station on the inside, seemed kind of small. There were only three rows of stuff and a counter that a foreign man stood behind. Towards the back of the station, there was one door for the bathroom. Spencer decided not to use the bathroom here since she's never been big on using public bathrooms. Spencer stood in line behind two other people. One man who looked to be about thirty who was wearing a blue a gray plaid shirt and light blue jeans. His hair was short and blonde. The woman standing behind him looked to be close to forty almost. Her hair was short and brown. She smelled like cigarettes and from a side view, Spencer could see how wrinkly her skin was. Her eyes were a dual brown color with bags under them.

While Spencer stood in line, she looked around at the stuff on the shelves. The one she stood by just happened to have personal products such as razors, bar soap, shaving cream, and condoms. It's not that she was looking for them or anything, her eyes just happened to land on small purple box that had Trojan written in readable sized black letters. That thought had crossed her mind before. The thought of finally giving herself to Toby. She's already given herself to a man before and it turned her whole life upside down. But Toby was different. Toby was a man that she loved deeply. She wants to be able to show him some of that love in a new way. In a way that they haven't gone before. They've wanted to so badly, but with Lucy living under the same roof, it just wasn't possible. It never seemed right to do it when there was a four-year-old just next door. Lucy has already caught the too making out a few times. Just this morning, Lucy caught Toby kissing Spencer's neck. Lord only knows how traumatized that little girl would be if she happened to walk in on the two of them in the middle of _coddling._

For the first time since Spencer met Toby, they're going to be alone. They'll be really alone. Lucy is staying at Emily's house which is about three hours away from where they're going. Spencer would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about doing it this weekend. It would be the perfect time to. She really wants it. She can't speak for Toby, but she's pretty sure Toby's been ready for it for a long time. Spencer wasn't sure what Toby planned to do these two nights along. What if he hadn't planned on them hooking up this weekend and didn't bother to bring protection? Spencer is open to having sex with Toby, but she's not open to having another baby just yet. Without giving it another thought, she reached for a box of ten. She felt her cheeks turn red when it was her turn to check out. She laid the box down on the counter and faked a coughing noise.

"Um tw-twenty on pump three," her voice came out shaky.

The foreign man looked at her before reaching to scan the box. He made no comment about them though his face did twitch a couple times.

"That will be $26.47," he said.

Spencer dug around in her purse for the money then handed it to the man. He put the money in the register then handed her $3. 53 back in change.

"Uh, need a bag?"

"No," she shook her head. "I'm fine thanks."

Spencer stuffed the small box in purse then turned to head straight for the door. Her heart fluttered when she saw Toby leaning against his truck waiting for the tank to fill up. His hands were in the pockets of his blue jeans and his lips were puckered out like he was whistling something. As Spencer got closer, she began to notice that Toby was whistling "Here Comes The Sun," by the Beatles. He stopped when he spotted her and smiled up at her.

"Don't stop on my account," she teased.

"Stop what?"

"Your whistling. Keep going," she opened up her car door and tossed her purse inside. She folded her arms over the top of the truck and leaned forward. "It's kind of sexy." She winked at him before climbing in the truck. Toby smirked and continued whistling.

After finishing up filling the tank, Toby got back in the truck and fired it up. The radio came back on and Fallin For You by Colbie Caillat came through the speakers. Thirty-five minutes later, Toby turned into the driveway of the house they plan to look at. It wasn't as light as it was before. Dark clouds started circling in and rumbles of thunder could be heard in the distance.

"I hope it's not storming in Rosewood," Spencer said, while looking at the sky. "Lucy doesn't do too well in storms."

"She'll be fine."

They got out of the car and walked up the short pathway to the front porch. It was two steps that lead up the a white railing with a wooden base. The front door is a violet red color with a yellow door knob. The outside of the house is painted a tan color. It's a one story house and on the website it said it's a three bedroom house with two bathrooms. If they turn out to like it, it should be a perfect home for Lucy.

"Are you sure this is okay?" She asked. "Looking at this place with our real estate agent?"

He nodded, "we'll be okay. We'll run through this place with the agent tomorrow, but for now, we can just check it out. Aren't you curious to see the inside?"

Spencer bit her lip and smiled, "of course."

"Alright let's go."

Toby opened the door and lead the way inside. The front door opens into the family room. The family room is a small, but spacious enough for a group of people. In Spencer's mind, she can picture where everything would go. Between the family room, there's a wall with an open area that gives a view of the kitchen. The kitchen has brown tile flooring, brown coverts with matching drawers and black countertops, and a white fridge with a built in freezer on top. The counter tops wrap around the whole kitchen like a capital L. Behind the counters are more coverts and a pantry to put food, cereal, and paper towel supplies in. There's two sinks and a dishwasher. The white stove is at the short end of the kitchen against the wall. Above the stove, there is a built in microwave. As you go further in the kitchen there's a wall that half way separates the kitchen to a short hallway that leads to the laundry room. In the laundry room, there are two light brown coverts.

Down the hall, the first door on the right, is one of the bedrooms. The walls inside the room they entered were a sky blue color with brown border lining. Up above, there's a brown ceiling fan. The carpet is a soft brown color. Plenty of closet space. Next to the closet is a door that leads to one of the bathrooms. Like in the family room, the walls are white. There are two wooden counters with marble tops. The bathroom has a nice shower with a glass door. The bathroom even has a white bathtub that looks big enough for one person. You could probably fit two in the tub if wanted. Spencer's always liked having a bathroom connected to her bedroom. This would have to be hers and Toby's room if they get this house. So far, she likes it. It's not too large and not too small for them.

They came out of the bathroom and back into the room. The king size bed up against the wall, had a big, dark brown comforter on it with six pillows with the same color pillow cases. Spencer walked over to the end of the bed and sat down. Right outside the window, you could see dark clouds rolling in and raindrops beginning to splatter over the glass window. A chill went down her spine as a rumble of thunder drumbed across the evening sky. Toby peeked out the window.

"Looks like we're in for a storm," he said.

She nodded, "I like this place."

He looked at her, "you do?"

She nodded again, "it's nice. I think Lucy will like it too. She can have her own full sized bedroom like the one across from this one. She can have a backyard to play in and possibly her own swingset. I think this could be a really great place for all of us. Plus, there's an extra room for guest."

"Yeah, I like it too." Toby came over and took a seat beside her on the end of the bed.

"Or possibly if things continue between us, that room could belong to someone."

He looked at her, "what, you mean like another child?"

Spencer shrugged," maybe. If for say one day we happened to get married, I imagine you and I would have a baby of our own. You know, I'm just figuratively speaking."

"Yeah, yeah, I think that'd be a great idea to have a house with an extra room. Just in case something like that did happen. Since we're figuratively speaking, would we ever have that together? Us getting married and having a child that we created?"

"Anythings possible, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Anything's possible."

Spencer stared out the window that's now coming down pretty hard. A flash of lightning struck followed by a deep rumble of thunder. As a little girl, most storms would make Spencer nervous. Right now, for some reason she found it comforting. Maybe it was because she was with someone. That someone happened to be Toby.

"I wasn't expecting it to rain so soon. I thought we'd get to the motel before it started," she confessed.

"We should just weigh it out here until it stops," he suggested.

She smiled and moved closer to him, "it's raining pretty hard, so since we'll be stuck here for awhile we minus well make the most of it."

"I agree," he smiled.

She leaned in pressed a passionate kiss against his lips. His hands traveled along her waist and he allowed his tongue to do most of the talking. Spencer looped her arms around his neck and started leaning back against the bed, pulling him down with her. They're body's lied diagonal along the bed. Toby's hands were all over Spencer and she had her right leg caught in between his legs. Another flash of lightning struck causing the lights to flicker. The lights flickered a second time before they went out completely. Since it wasn't quite night time yet, but it was still kind of dark outside, the room dimmed. Toby pulled away to give them time to catch their breaths. It's almost seven o'clock, the lights just went out, and it will get dark soon. They can't really go anywhere. He sat up on the bed.

"I assume there aren't any candles or flashlights in this house," Spencer said.

"Probably not," Toby sighed. "I may have a couple and a lighter in the car. I'll be right back." He slipped off the bed, Spencer sat up.

"Be careful out there."

Spencer stood up quickly and peeled off her jacket. She ran over to the mirror in the bedroom and preempt her hair a little. She undid the first button on her blouse and opened it up a little. When Toby comes back, she wants to look her best. Trying to make herself look extra sexy probably isn't necessary, but she's doing it anyway. The front door slammed shut and Toby walked down the hall, back to the bedroom. His hair is not stuck to his forehead and drops are rolling down his face. His clothes are damp as well. He held up two candles and a lighter, smiling.

"Bingo." He set the two candles on the bedside table and light them. Pretty soon, the room was lit with a warm, yellowish glow. He set the light down on the dresser before pulling something out from under his jacket.

"You left your purse in the car and thought you might want it." Spencer's cheeks turned red. Did he happen to see what she's hiding inside her purse? It wasn't open.

"Thanks," she coughed, taking the purse from him and setting it on the other table top. When she turned around, Toby was back to sitting on the end of the bed. She curled her lip some and walked over to stand in front of him. Toby didn't look up until her hand was running up his chest and she was lightly pushing him back on the bed.

"What are you doing?" He smirked, allowing her to push him back. She bit her lip as a shy smile formed across her face. Half of her body pressed on top of him, her fingers played with the collar of his shirt.

"Nothing, I just want to get back to what we were doing before."

"Oh," he cocked his right eye. She nodded, smiling, and pressed her warm lips against his. Toby's hands found her waist again. This time, he gave it a firm squeeze causing her to moan. He used that as his advantage to slip his tongue in her mouth. Their kissing grew more intense to the point where they could barely catch their breaths. When Toby tried prying his lips away to catch his breath, Spencer moved her lips over to kiss all over his neck. He shut his eyes and moaned quietly.

His eyes opened when he no longer felt Spencer's lips on his neck. Instead, she was perched up on her knees looking at him in a way she hadn't before. After taking a nervous breath, Spencer ran her hands down her body to tug on the hem of her blouse. She raised her arms up and slipped the blouse off of her body. Toby sat there wide eyed. A flash of lightning illuminated her dark pale skin. The glow from the candles made her skin look darker than it was.

"Spencer," he tried to speak.

She bit her lip and looked at the bed spread, "we've talked about this, but never got around to it. I thought this weekend would be the perfect time." she paused to look at him. His eyes were completely trained on her. "I was going to wait until we got to the motel, but I'm tired of waiting."

She crawled over him, pressed her body down against his, and kissed him hard. Toby shut his eyes and kissed her back. He kissed her for a couples minutes before putting a hang on her shoulder to slow things down. Spencer's lips hovered over his. She was so close that he could taste her minty breath. Toby almost choked over his own breath when trying to speak.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," when she nodded, her lips brushed against his.

Toby licked his lips, "I didn't bring anything…"

"I got some at the gas station," she interrupted. "If you're ready too, I've got us covered."

He nodded, "I'm ready." His voice cut into a light chuckle, "you want to right here?"

"Well," she spoke in a low voice. "It's safe to say that this will be our future home and this will be our bed, so why not mark our territory right here, right now?"

Toby smiled wide, shaking his head in disbelief, "you're insane, Hastings."

"Not insane," she said, calmly, caressing his smooth face. "In love."

Toby smiled at her, brushed his fingers through her hair and kissed her softly.

* * *

The rain had lightened up some, but the sky grew darker. Spencer undid the last button on Toby's shirt and leaned in to suck on his neck. While she was kissing his neck, Toby reached behind her to undo her bra clasp. He pulled her strap down her arm and kissed her silky smooth skin. Spencer pulled back from the neck kissing to work on his belt buckle. While pulling his pants down, Spencer trailed down his chest all the way to his hip bone with her lips.

"Spencer," Toby whispered her name. She looked at him. Toby brushed a hand through her hair and looked into her eyes. She swallowed, grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his lips back to hers.

Time passed by, the night got later, and the skies became darker. The storm outside had tamed itself but the one going on right in this bedroom is just growing stronger. Two hot, sweaty bodies moved together underneath the blankets and sheets. Their desire for each other burned like the candles on the bedside table. Toby kissed down Spencer's body. Her breath came out shallow. Toby could feel her nails digging their way into the skin on his back. When she screamed out, Toby paused his movements to look at her.

"You okay?"

She nodded and loosened her grip against his back, "I'm perfect."

"If I'm going too fast or too hard…"

"No," she caressed his face and smiled at him. "Don't you dare change what you're doing."

Spencer pulled him in for another kiss. Toby continued with his movements and kissed her. His whole body felt like it was on fire. Never in his lifetime has he felt like this. This moment right here will be sketched into his memory for as long as he lives.

It got late. The skies have cleared and the moon shined bright in the navy blue sky. Afterwards, Spencer laid with her head on Toby's chest and his arm was around her. As she laid with her head pressed against his chest, she could hear his heart beating like a drum. His hand kept tracing patterns along her smooth skin. Spencer's eyes were closed. She wasn't asleep, she's just enjoying this moment.

"I haven't had very many perfect moments in my life," Spencer said, still keeping her eyes closed. "But this right here is definitely the textbook definition of a perfect moment. It's the perfect moment."

"Spencer."

"Yes?"

Toby kissed the top of her head and said, "I love you."

She smiled and placed a hand over his heart, "I love you too."

"You're going to think I'm crazy."

She giggled, "you're not crazy."

"Marry me."

The room became silent for a moment. Spencer slowly opened her eyes. She sat up in the bed and wrapped the tan sheet around herself. Toby sat up too and kept his eyes on her. She finally looked at him.

"What?"

He half smiled, "do still think that I'm not crazy?"

"I-I don't know." They fully sat up and leaned back against the headboard.

"Look," he said. "I know that sounds a bit crazy and I get that you're probably not ready. I wasn't planning on proposing this soon. Not this weekend, anyway. But when we were together just now, all I could think about was how much I love you. You know that I love you and I love Lucy like you're my family. You are my family. You and Lucy are a big part of me and I want to keep that part of me forever. I want to marry you."

"Toby, you are crazy for proposing to me," she paused. "But I must be crazier because I'm saying yes."

"Yes?" Toby breathed. "You're saying yes?"

"Yeah," she grinned. "It's a yes."

Toby grinned and pulled her in for a deep kiss. His arms wrapped tightly around her body. Spencer giggled when Toby rolled them over, pulling Spencer on top. Life was made to make some bold choices. Spencer and Toby are about to make the boldest move of their lives.

* * *

 **I'm really sorry that it took me so long to update and that this chapter probably sucks. It's just, lately I haven't been in the mood to write Spoby fanfiction. It seems like that's all they are now a days, you know? Like, I don't want Spoby to just be a fanfiction. I want them to be real again in the show. And I just can't seem to get inspiration to write for them anymore. It kind of hurts to write fanfiction when right now, that's all they are. For right now, Spoby only lives in fanfictions and that's not enough. Marlene is screwing this whole fandom over and it's not far. I'm not one to hate, but I really hate Marlene and the PLL writers right now. I don't think they see what they're doing to their own show.**

 **Marlene says that she writes this show for the fans, but that's a load of crap. If that were true, Spoby would be together and endgame, and so would the other main couples. We don't need any of this stupid love triangle crap. They need to focus on the damn mystery. I'm sorry, but these writers don't know how to write a tv show if their lives depended on it. Don't me.**

 **P.S. I'll try to continue this story, but updates will be spaced out greatly.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Holy crap she finally updated! I know it has been forever since I last posted a chapter. When it came to this story, I had writer's block for THE LONGEST TIME. But, I'm back. It sort of just hit me one morning what I wanted to do with this chapter so I finally finished it, yay! I think I have a pretty good idea where I want this story to go, so I should have new chapter's coming in quicker. I started back to school recently, so that cuts in with my time a lot, but we'll see how things go.**

* * *

Toby fixed his shirt and stepped back into the bedroom. He chuckled when he saw Spencer trying to make the bed they just slept it. She was trying to make it look the way it did before they came in and really messed up the sheets. Spencer lined up the pillows the way she remembered. She made sure the cover was smoothed out and not wrinkled. She even washed the sheets before making the bed.

"How many times are you going to make that bed, Spence?" Toby asked with a slight chuckle.

"Until it looks like nobody slept in it."

Later this morning, they're supposed to meet with the real estate agent about buying the house. They planned to meet right here in this house. Toby talked to the agency and said their agent would show up at 11.

Toby came up and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He kissed her neck playfully. "We did more than just sleep in that bed." Spencer giggled and bit down on her bottom lip.

Spencer turned her head around and Toby leaned in to kiss her. She turned so she was fully facing him and pulled him closer. With the slip of a foot, the two tumbled backward on the bed with Toby above Spencer. Toby kissed her neck which caused a series of giggles coming from Spencer. She finally put a hand on his chest to stop him.

"We should stop before I have to wash the sheets and make the bed again."

"Right," Toby nodded in agreement. "One more kiss wouldn't hurt anything, would it?"

She smiled while playing with his hands, "No, I don't think one more kiss would hurt anything at all."

They both smiled before their lips collided in another intense moment. While they were busy indulging in each other, they didn't pay much mind to the front door opening and closing. Neither one of them realized that someone was inside until a man's voice announced themselves.

"Hello. Is anybody here?"

Spencer and Toby accidentally knocked heads when they jumped apart. They got off the bed and started straightening out their outfits. Spencer smoothed the blanket on the bed then followed Toby out to the living room. In the middle of the living room, there was a tall, well-built young man with sandy light hair standing with his back turned to them. The man was wearing a royal blue, button up collar shirt along with a pair of light gray khakis. He seemed to be writing something down on a clipboard.

"Excuse us," Toby said to the man.

He turned around and faced the couple behind him. His blue eyes settled on the one who called for his attention. Toby eyed the guy as if he had seen him before. Perhaps they've crossed paths long ago. He does look kinda familiar to him.

"Toby?" The guy spoke.

Toby squinted his eyes in confusion. So they have met before, but where? And when had they met before? Toby's eyes moved to the name tag Jason D.

"Jason."

 **5 years ago**

 _Toby took a deep breath and entered his apartment. Like many nights before, his roommate, Jason, was focusing on something on his computer screen. This is the fourth night in a row that he has stayed in instead of going out. It's concerned Toby quite a bit why he's always home at night. Normally he's out getting drunk with his friends._

" _Another night in," Toby said._

 _His roommate turned around, "yeah, I guess so." He glanced at the brown paper bag in Toby's hand. He gestured towards the bag._

" _What's that?"_

 _Toby held up the bag, "frozen yogurt. I stopped for some on my way home. Do you want any?"_

" _Dude, yes, I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything all afternoon."_

 _Toby walked into the kitchen and put the bag on the table. His roommate got up from his desk chair and grabbed a thing of frozen yogurt. He took a spook and a napkin from the bag then went back to his desk chair. Toby scooped some yogurt onto his spoon and stuck it in his mouth. Jason got back to typing on his computer while eating his frozen yogurt._

" _Jason, what's going on with you?" Toby asked._

" _Why do you ask?"_

" _You've been spending the last two weeks with your ass in that computer chair. You turn down getting drinks with your friends to study on the computer. This is so not you."_

" _Okay," Jason ran his hands down his face and sighed. "The truth is, my parents dropped the I was adopted bomb on me."_

" _Seriously?" Toby's mouth gaped. "You were adopted?"_

 _Jason gulped down some of his water and nodded, "Yeah. I should've figured out sooner, though, right? My mother has red hair and my father has dark brown hair. I have dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. Neither one of my parents looks like me."_

" _If Janet and Kevin aren't your real parents, who are your real parents?" Toby wondered. "Are they still alive?"_

" _I found my birth mother Jessica Dilaurentis, but I haven't worked up the nerve to actually meet her. My father never put his name on my birth certificate. I'm still working on finding out who my father is."_

" _Wow, I can't believe you're adopted. What do you know about your mother?"_

 _Jason showed Toby his computer screen, "she was twenty-one when she gave birth to me in a hospital in New York. She married some guy named Kenneth a month later and they had a daughter together."_

" _Wow," Toby read the screen. "That's a lot to take in. Do you know your sister's name? That would make their child your sister, right? In some way."_

 _Jason nodded, "yeah. That would make her my half-sister. That's why I've been spending so much time in this room and less time going out partying. I'm just trying to find my family."_

" _Well, if there's anything that I can do to help, I'm here."_

" _Thanks, man."_

At the end of that semester, Jason didn't return to college. Toby never saw or heard much from Jason. Even though they did make plans to stay in touch, that hadn't stuck for long. Toby never found out how Jason did with finding his family. He imagines he did but was never sure.

Jason stood there with a clipboard stuck between his hands just looking at the couple. He hadn't seen Toby in years. He always felt bad not keeping in touch. Toby had been a good friend to him in college. He was the only one he ever really trusted. As if seeing Toby hadn't shocked him enough, the brunette standing next to him did.

"Toby," Jason finally spoke. "What a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting you when my boss told me some customers wanted to take a look at this house. I thought you always wanted to build your own."

"I did," Toby nodded. "But, something changed and that's no longer in the plan book. Well, for now anyway. We're actually going to move here by the end of this year, so we needed to pick someplace quick."

"Oh, who is we?"

Toby smiled, gesturing to the woman standing next to him, "Jason this is Spencer. She's sort of my fiance now. And Spencer this is Jason. We know each other from college."

Spencer smiled and reached to shake Jason's hand. After Jason gave her hand a shake, something felt familiar about her. He's positive they've never met before, but something felt odd about her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Spencer," Jason politely smiled.

"You too."

"So," Jason directed his attention towards the both of them. "You're interested in buying this house."

"Yeah," Toby answered. "Spencer actually found this house online and liked it, so we decided to take a little trip to check it out for ourselves."

"Well, from what you've seen so far, how do you two feel about this place?" Jason asked.

"It's great," Toby said.

"I can already see us living here," Spencer added. "I can see my daughter playing out in the front yard while I stand at the stove cooking dinner. I can imagine Toby coming home from work and kissing me hello. I can see us falling asleep together in that bedroom with Lucy just down the hall from us."

"Oh, you two plan on having children someday," Jason smiled. "That's nice."

"Uh, actually," Toby intervened. "Spencer has a daughter named Lucy now. She's four."

"Wow," Jason's mouth gaped at Spencer in surprised. "I'm sorry I had no idea. You just looked young to me."

Spencer simply smiled, "that's okay. I actually did get pregnant young. Are there times where I wished I had waited to get knocked up, yes, but Lucy's the light of my life."

Jason's smile returned, "is your daughter with you right now?"

"No, um I left her with my friends. They're actually more like family to me," she said. "More of a family to me than my actual family was."

"Oh, that's a shame. I'd really like to meet the little girl. I imagine she's a spitting image of her beautiful mother," Jason smirked.

Spencer laughed and Toby smiled. They conversed about some non-important things for awhile before getting down to business. Jason sat with the couple to help them make a plan. After discussing things for over an hour, Spencer and Toby made their choice. They're going to buy this house. As expected, the couple had a lot of papers to read and sign. Toby signed his full name to all the correct lines, Tobias Phillip Cavanaugh. Spencer signed her name too, Spencer Jill Hastings. Jason took the several copies of papers they signed from them and checked them over. When his eyes landed on Spencer's last name, his mind clicked.

He looked right at Spencer and said, "Hastings."

"Yeah?" Spencer asked, confused.

Jason leaned forward, "uh you wouldn't happen to know Peter Hastings, would you?"

Shocked, she answered rather quickly, "he's my father, why?"

Again, Jason's jaw dropped. Spencer had no clue where he was going with this. Had this man met her father before? Was he some sort of old client her father had?

"How do you know my father?" She asked.

"Peter Hastings is my biological father," Jason said. "My biological mother's name was Jessica Dilaurentis. When Jessica was twenty-one and Peter was twenty-four, they had a son and gave him up for adoption the minute he was born. I was that baby boy. I was put up for adoption. Since I was adopted, my legal name now is Jason David."

Spencer's mouth fell open. Her eyes were as wide as owls eyes. That was unexpected. When she came here this weekend, she expected to purchase a house, not to find out that she might have a brother. Well, half-brother, but he's still her brother. He's been out there all this time and she never even knew about it. Toby was also puzzled to hear about this. He knew way back that Jason was adopted, but he had no idea that Spencer was his sister.

"Your," Spencer struggled with her words a bit. "You're Peter Hastings son?"

Jason nodded.

"Oh wow," Spencer put a hand to her forehead. "I- I was not expecting that."

"Yeah, me neither," Jason said. "I just recently found out Peter was my father. Then I found out even more recently that he got married and had two other children."

"That would be me and my older sister, Melissa," Spencer clarified.

"I have two sisters," Jason said, shocked. "Woah, this is huge."

Spencer bit her lip, "you don't just have two sisters. Actually, you've got three."

Jason's eyes widened even more, "three?"

She nodded, "you said that Jessica's your birth mother, right?" Jason nodded.

"Well," Spencer said. "Jessica had a daughter."

Toby snapped his fingers, "that's right. Jason, you told me your mother had another daughter."

Jason nodded, "I remember. I think I found out that daughter's name was Alice maybe?"

"Alison," Spencer jumped in. "Her name's Alison and I know her."

"Oh my god," Jason moved in his seat as if he had ants in his pants. "I can't believe some of my family's been out there this whole time. I just never knew where to look. I met my mother one time, but she had no clue who I was. I never even tried speaking to my father."

"Lucky you," Spencer muttered. "Alison lives with her girlfriend back in Rosewood. We're good friends, actually. As for her mother, well, Jessica has spent a lot of time in rehab due to her drinking and drug habits."

Jason sighed, "that explains a lot."

"How weird is it that I ended up with your half-sister," Toby said.

"Really weird," Jason chuckled. "But, she picked a good man. Even if I don't really know Spencer, she has good taste."

"I didn't always have good taste," Spencer joked. "But, Toby's cute, sweet, and he loves my daughter."

"Yeah," Jason nodded. "Toby's a good guy."

"Well, it looks like you just got your first character reference before I marry you," Spencer teased while messing up Toby's hair.

Toby laughed and turned towards Jason, "this isn't going to be weird for you, is it? You're still going to sell us the house."

"Of course," Jason nodded. "I'll admit, when I came here I wasn't expecting all of this, but I'm glad I was picked to be your agent."

"Uh," Spencer opened her mouth. "Jason… I have to ask. I don't know if this is my sisterly instinct kicking in or what, but if it's not too much trouble… Would you care to join us for lunch…"

"I'd love to," Jason smiled.

* * *

 **Surprise! Jason was adopted. He was Toby's roommate in college, he's Spencer's half-brother, and he's also Alison's half-brother. I decided that I do want Jason to be in this story. He won't necessarily be a main and be in every chapter for now on, but he will be popping in from time to time. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Now that you've read, review and I'll update when I can. Bye!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Here I am with another chapter! Hope you enjoy the chapter. R &R**

* * *

With the temperatures in Rosewood at a comfortable sixty-four degrees, mostly clear blue skies, and low-winds, it was far too nice of a day to waste indoors. It's Sunday afternoon and everybody is off today. Well, Caleb had an early shift Sunday morning that started at 8 and ended at 1, but he still had the rest of the day free. Since everybody had the day off, Emily thought Sunday afternoon would be the perfect time to have a cookout. Aria and Hanna would bring their families over to Emily and Alison's house. Lucy is here with all of them. Spencer and Toby will be returning later this afternoon. They're bound to be up to spending time with friends. After spending Friday and Saturday planning for this, everybody is ecstatic.

On Sunday morning after church, Emily, Alison, and Lucy drove to the store to get stuff for the cookout. Everyone will participate. Hanna said she's making her mother's famous potato salad and chocolate chip cookie squares. Aria has taken it upon herself to make everybody's favorite pies. She's baking a wide variety selection such as; pumpkin pie, custard, chocolate, banana cream, cherry, and apple pie. Alison and Emily have a lot of cooking and bacon of their own to do. Emily thought it might be cool to surprise Spencer and Toby with this cookout. Everybody vowed to not say a word to either of them until they showed up to pick up Lucy at 4 this afternoon.

"We need to hurry and get this stuff unloaded so we can start preparing," Emily instructed as they unloaded the groceries from the trunk of her car.

"Lucy can you carry that bag for me?" Emily asked.

Most of these bags are pretty heavy since they contain lots of food items, napkins, cups, plates, and other essentials for the house. Emily pointed to the lightweight bag that held the paper items. Lucy reached for the brown paper bag and held it tightly to her chest. Emily carried two bags and Alison grabbed the last two. The three of them made their way up the drive. Alison balanced the bags in her arms while trying to unlock the front door. As soon as they entered the house, they carefully set all the bags on the kitchen table.

"Well," Emily sighed. "Do you think we have enough?"

"Em we have enough for the whole neighborhood," Alison joked.

Emily smiled, "well, we've never been the type to turn away extras. Lucy, you want to help me in the kitchen?"

"Okay!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Okay, wash your hands at the sink."

Lucy ran on her little legs over to the sink. Alison and Emily finished taking the stuff out of the shopping bags. Everything they plan to use has been set out on the table. While everything that will be needed later got put away. For most of the early afternoon, Alison, Emily, and Lucy prepared stuff in the kitchen. At 2:40pm, Hanna and Caleb showed up with Matthew. When Matthew showed up, Lucy left Emily and Alison in the kitchen to play. Hanna joined Alison in the kitchen while Emily and Caleb fired up the grill.

Aria and Ezra showed up a little after 3:00 with Layla. After setting Layla with Matthew and Lucy, who were watching _The Little Mermaid_ , Aria and Ezra went out back to set up tables and chairs. At 3:30, most of the hotdogs and burgers were done. All the adults helped set food out on one of the tables. Layla got a little fussy when the children had to pause the movie to go eat. As soon as she got food in her belly, she perked right up again.

"Oh crap," Hanna curse while expecting the table.

"What's wrong?" Aria asked.

"We forgot chips."

"What?" Emily looked around. Hanna was right. They had no chips on the table. Alison checked the house and there weren't any.

"I'll have Caleb run to the store," Hanna said.

Toby's truck turned into Emily's driveway. They noticed their friends cars parked along the street. Spencer took a deep breath before stepping out of the truck. The doors opened and close, and they walked up to the door together in sync. Actually, instead of going to the front door, they just skipped right to the backyard. When they stepped onto the grass, they were stunned by what they witnessed.

"Caleb!" Hanna searched the yard for him.

Caleb was over at the grill arguing with Ezra about how the burgers should be done. Ezra thought they burgers were a little overdone. Caleb argued that they were perfectly done. Pretty soon, the two started arguing over who should continue cooking them. Ezra reached for the tongs in Caleb's hand, but Caleb yanked his arm away from. Ezra almost burnt his hand on the grill. That caused another silly argument between the two.

"The guys are arguing," Emily rolled her eyes.

"What is Ezra doing to Caleb?" Hanna wondered.

"Oh, Caleb's probably just being a little baby like always," Aria meant it as a joke.

Offended, Hanna crossed her arms and looked at Aria, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying Caleb can be a little intense sometimes."

"Excuse me," Hanna faced Aria. "Ezra's the overdramatic one."

"He's not over dramatic," Aria defended. "He's just a little sensitive."

"He throws a fit whenever things don't go his way," Hanna said. He should be called Ezra-Throws-a-Fitz."

"Guys," Emily tried to intervene. "I don't think we should be having this conversation right now."

Aria narrowed her eyes at Hanna, "Caleb's the one who always thinks things have to go his way. Every other way is wrong, but no, not the Caleb Rivers way. Everybody stop what you're doing and act like Caleb!"

Hanna's jaw dropped, "well, at least he didn't cause a scene in the middle of Starbucks just because somebody accidentally gave him the wrong drink. Mocha. Espresso. what's the difference? They each have caffeine in them. He minus well have ordered a skinny vanilla latte since he wants to act like a teenage girl."

Aria pointed a finger at Hanna, "I don't appreciate you talking about my husband that way."

"Well, I don't appreciate your husband screaming at my husband like he's talking to that Starbucks employe!"

Since Caleb and Ezra, and Hanna and Aria were busy arguing, nobody seemed to notice that Spencer and Toby had entered the backyard. Spencer walked towards the girls while Toby went over to the boys. The couple shared a look and a node before cutting in. Spencer abruptly grabbed both Aria and Hanna by the back of their heads and yanked them back by their hair to get their attention.

"Ow!" They both cried, rubbing the backs of their now throbbing heads.

Toby yanked on the back collars of Ezra and Caleb's shirts, tugging them a step away from the other. The four adults stopped arguing and the whole backyard fell silent.

Spencer innocently cleared her throat and said, "somebody want to explain what's been going on here?"

"Mommy!" Lucy squealed.

Lucy shot up from her spot at the kids table and ran to hug her mother. Spencer released Aria and Hanna to catch her daughter in a tight embrace.

"Spencer," Emily smiled. "We're glad you're home. We've been expecting you guys for some time now."

Spencer chuckled, "could've fooled me."

"Right," Hanna faked a laugh. "About what you just walked in on… We were just messing around."

Spencer gave both of them a look, "you guys were literally one second away from tossing each other into a mud pit."

"Yeah," Toby spoke, finally letting go of Caleb and Ezra. "I sensed a fist fight was about to break out any second."

"What happened?" Spencer asked.

"We're not too sure," Alison admitted. "We started talking about chips then suddenly World War 3 broke out."

"You really think that was a good idea to argue in front of our children?" Spencer challenged.

"Sorry, Spence," Hanna said.

"Yeah, me too," Aria said.

"What the hell were you two idiots fighting about?" Toby asked the boys.

"Caleb burnt my burger," Ezra grumbled.

"I did not burn it!" Caleb argued.

"You did!"

Before the argument could go any further like before, Toby grab a hold of both of their heads and smacked them against each others, not hard enough to seriously hurt them, but enough to get them to shut up.

"Okay," Ezra groaned.

"We'll shut up," Caleb added.

"Now that World War 3 has taken a hold, I brought chips," Spencer said.

"What?" Emily looked at her.

"Spencer how did you know to bring chips?"

"Caleb sent a group text out to everyone and forgot to erase our names from the group," Toby said.

Hanna glared at Caleb, "idiot."

"Sorry."

"Well, now that we're here," Spencer spoke. "Toby and I have a few things we want to announce before round 2 of World War 3 breaks out. If the four of you don't mind calling a ceasefire for like ten minutes, that'd be great."

"We're good," Aria said. "Go ahead."

Spencer left the girls to stand next to Toby.

"The first news we have is that over the weekend, Toby and I decided to get engaged. We're getting married."

"Well, of course you are," Hanna said with a duh expression. "You two are practically married already."

"What Hanna means to say is congratulations," Emily smiled.

"Hey, Hanna knows what Hanna means."

Spencer rolled her eyes and continued, "second thing we have to announce, Toby and I have decided to purchase that house. Lucy, Toby, and I will be moving there at the end of November."

"Wow," people said.

"That soon?" Ezra asked.

"They want me start at my new job at the start of next year, so we need time to get settled in," Spencer said.

"Well, that's awesome," Emily said.

"Yeah, congratulations you guys," Aria added.

Spencer folded her hands and her smile stiffened, "there's one more thing. When Toby and I went to buy the house, I found some things out. Things I didn't even know about until yesterday."

"What is it?" Hanna asked.

"I discovered that I have a brother. Well, half-brother technically, but we're related in someway."

"You have a brother?" Emily looked at her confused.

Spencer gritted her teeth together, "I actually invited Jason to come home with us for a couple of days to meet everyone. He's right over there."

Spencer pointed at the tall, dirty blonde haired, blue-eyed man standing on the edge of the grass. Everybody stared at him in shock. Nobody expected Spencer had a brother. They knew she has a sister, but never knew about her brother.

Jason awkwardly waved at everyone, "uh, hi."

"That's really your brother?" Aria asked.

"Jason's not just my brother," Spencer said.

"Oh god," Hanna's eyes widened. "Don't tell me he's Toby's brothers as well. Then that would make the two of you…"

"No, Hanna," Spencer rolled her eyes. "Jason is not Toby's brother. He's only my brother and Alison's brother."

Alison's jaw dropped for the first time that afternoon, "you said what?"

Spencer looked at Alison, "Jason is your half-brother too."

"What?" Alison looked at Jason. "I-I don't have any siblings. It was always just me, my mom, and my dad."

"We don't have the same father," Jason cut in. "A long time ago, before either of you girls were born, Spencer's father and your mother, Alison, they got together and had a baby. A son. Me."

"Oh my god," Alison felt light-headed. "I need to sit down."

Emily pulled up a chair for Alison to sit in. Spencer felt pretty much the same way Alison is feeling right now. After she, Toby, and Jason had lunch, she started to really grasp the situation. Spencer found out that Jason is a pretty good guy. Plus, Toby added that Jason was really cool. At least, from what he knew about him.

"So," Alison spoke again. She pointed at Jason, "my mom and Spencer's dad had an affair. During that affair, they had you. The resulted in me getting a brother. So, if Jason is my brother and he's also Spencer's brother. That would mean Spencer and I are like…"

"Sisters as well," Spencer finished for her.

Alison looked at her, "yeah."

* * *

Things had calmed down since Spencer, Toby, and their unexpected guest showed up. Spencer and Toby sat at a table catching up with Lucy while Jason and Alison talked. They had a lot to catch up on. Aria and Hanna apologized to each other. They ended up laughing about something and acted like good friends again. Ezra and Caleb made up too. Peach was made among all of them for the time being.

During dessert, Spencer showed Lucy pictures of the house they bought. She got to see the huge backyard for her to play in. Spencer pointed out which room she'd be staying in. It's a lot bigger than the room she's in at Toby's place.

"What do you think about the house, Lucy?" Spencer asked.

Lucy shrugged, "it's nice."

"Do you think you'll like living there?"

"I'd be happy anywhere as long as Toby is coming."

Spencer smiled, "yes, Toby will be living there too."

"And aunt Em, Ali, Hanny, and Aria will come too, right?" Lucy wondered.

Spencer's smile flattened, "um no, sweetie. They won't be coming with us."

Lucy's smile faded, "but mommy they are family too."

"Lucy," Spencer reached for her daughter's hand. "We've talked about this before, remember? We have to move."

"I know," Lucy mumbled. "Does this mean we won't see everyone ever again?"

"No, of course not," Spencer assured. "Just because we're moving a few hours away from everyone, doesn't mean we won't ever see them. Of course, we'll be seeing them. The other girls and I have already made planned visits. We just won't be seeing them everyday like we do now."

"I'm excited for the move, but I don't want to leave my friends."

"We totally understand that," Toby said. "When I was growing up, my dad had a job where we had to move around a lot. I went to five different schools growing up. Every move we made was hard because I'd miss my old friends. Even though I kept having to move around a lot, I still remembered all my old friends. Including the friends I made at my first childhood home. Believe it or not, I still hear from one of my friends from the seventh grade. Leaving your old friends is hard, but around every corner is new friends waiting to meet you. I made friends all over the place."

"Are you saying we'll have to move five times?" Lucy questioned.

"No," Toby laughed. "I'm saying true friends never go away no matter where you end up."

"I know this is for my own good," Lucy said.

Spencer nodded, "it's for all of us. Don't worry about missing the friends you've made here too much. I promise you, you'll get to see them from time to time, okay?"

Lucy nodded, "okay."

"So, this must be the famous Lucy i've been hearing about," Jason walked over to their table and kneeled down to Lucy's height.

"Are you really my mommy's brother?" Lucy asked.

Jason nodded, "yeah, I am, kiddo. Do you know what that means?"

"What?"

Jason smiled, "that makes me your uncle."

Lucy's jaw dropped, "I have an uncle!"

Jason laughed, "it's seems that way."

"I thought Ezra and Caleb were my uncles."

"They are in a way," Spencer said. "But they're not really related to us the way Jason is."

Lucy tilted her head to the side, "I don't understand."

Spencer smiled, "you'll understand when you're a little older."

"Mommy, when you and Toby get married, will he become my uncle Toby?"

"Even better actually," Spencer said.

"What could be better than another uncle?" Lucy wondered.

Spencer bit her lip, smiling, "maybe Toby being your daddy."

Again, Lucy didn't seem to understand.

"Lucy, since Toby and I are getting married, he'll become your dad."

Lucy perked up, "I'm getting a daddy?"

Spencer smiled while taking Toby's hand, "yeah. It turns out you're actually getting what you've always wanted for Christmas."

"I'm getting a daddy," Lucy whispered. "Who's going to be my dad?"

"I am," Toby said.

"Toby will be my daddy!" Lucy squealed.

Everybody started laughing. Lucy jumped out her chair and threw her small arms over Toby's shoulders. Toby smiled and picked Lucy up, and held her in a hug. Lucy kept making a muffling sound into Toby's jacket. At first, everyone thought she was laughing. That was until Toby felt something wet on his t-shirt. It was then he and Spencer realized Lucy was crying. Toby knitted his fingers through Lucy's soft brown hair trying to comfort her. After a few minutes, Lucy sat on Toby's left hip and held her arms around his shoulders. She looked at Toby with her watery brown eyes.

"I've always wanted a daddy," Lucy sniffled.

Toby smiled and wiped the little tears rolling down Lucy's face, "well, you've got one."

"I'm gonna have a mommy and daddy," Lucy moved to put her arms around her mother, while staying on Toby's lap.

"That's right, sweetheart," Spencer smiled.

"This is the bestest day of my life!" Lucy exclaimed.

She threw her arms around the both of them. Spencer and Toby shared a look while they hugged their daughter. The bottom of a shoe crinkled a leaf behind them. An unexpected visitor showed up in Emily's backyard.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

That deep voice caught the attention of everyone in the yard. Even Matthew and Layla stopped what they were doing. The gang looked at the strange visitor who just showed up. Spencer turned her attention to the person who spoke. Her eyes grew and her jaw dropped. Everybody fell silent and was shocked by who appeared.

* * *

 **Cliffhanger! Who do you think showed up at the end? Share your guesses in your review. That was a pretty crazy chapter. World War 3 happened. Jason went back with Spencer to meet everybody. Alison met Jason. Lucy met Jason and Lucy found out the good news. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I hope to read your feedbacks in the reviews.*Kisses*- Mellie**


	22. Chapter 22

**R &R**

* * *

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

That deep voice caught the attention of everyone in the yard. Even Matthew and Layla stopped what they were doing. The gang looked at the strange visitor who just showed up. Spencer turned her attention to the person who spoke. Her eyes grew and her jaw dropped. Everybody fell silent and was shocked by who appeared.

 _This was a terrible idea. Spencer knew this was a terrible idea, so why had she agreed to come? Why did she agree to meet with a guy she wants nothing to do with anymore. She knows that this is a bad idea. After promising herself she would never see or speak to this man again, here she is waiting for him to show up at a run down coffee texted her that morning asking if they could meet up and "talk." He assured her that's all it would be. Spencer must've been crazy to accept and agree to meet with him. Especially, after she witnessed him ordering one of his colleagues to kill a man. This man is bad news yet here she is._

 _At the expected time, he showed up at the coffee shop. He was driven by his driver, Frank and came in through the side door. He took a seat across from her and removed the shades covering his eyes. He hung his glasses on the collar of his shirt then rested his hands on the table._

" _Spencer," he sighed. "I'm glad you could meet me."_

" _I'm going to need you to stay three feet away from me at all times," she hissed._

 _He smirked, but nodded anyway, "alright."_

" _I don't have much time," Spencer said, brushing her hair out of the way and sitting back._

" _Glad we're on the same page here, because I don't have much time either."_

" _What do you want?" She asked, wanting to get right to the point._

" _Are you still pregnant?"_

" _Yes, I'm still pregnant," Spencer rolled her eyes. "The baby didn't just walk out after eight weeks."_

" _Spencer, when you left my office that day I couldn't quite understand why you were upset, but now I do," he said. "My request to you was completely unfair."_

" _If you're thinking you'll have some sort of role in this baby's life, you can forget about it. You're not coming anywhere near MY kid."_

" _I don't want a part in that baby's life," he scuffled. "I don't want that baby to be in any part of my life either."_

" _So why the hell are you here?" She leaned forward. "You want nothing from me and I want nothing from you, so why did you call me here?"_

" _I can't stand the risk of the news getting out that I got a woman pregnant."_

" _I already told you I wouldn't tell anybody this child's yours."_

" _The news will get out somehow anyway. At some point down the road, that child is going to want to know who their father is. They'll start digging and might even try to hunt me down."_

" _Unless I find a man who will love me and my child like he or she is their own, that child won't even give a damn that a piece of crap like you exists."_

" _Please Spencer," he laughed. "The odds of some idiot loving some brat child that came from you is one in a million."_

" _That's it," Spencer reached for her handbag._

" _Wait," he spoke in a demanding voice. "You're not leaving here until I introduce my deal to you."_

" _I'm not making any deals with you. Nothing good could ever come from one of your deals."_

" _Even if this deal could make you rich?" He challenged._

" _I don't want your money."_

" _A lot of people try to decline money, but when times get tough, desperate times call for desperate matters. I know that mommy and daddy cut you off, and I'm pretty sure you're still on the job hunt. How are you even going to support a child if you have no income?"_

" _I'll figure something out."_

" _Food stamps and homeless shelters won't do you much good. My offer to you is simple and a win-win for the both of us. I'm prepared to offer you one-million dollars with no payback fee. All you have to do is abort the baby." Spencer opened her mouth to object on the spot, but before she could, he slid the check over to her._

" _Don't give me an answer until you think things through clearly. I'll give you a week to make up your mind. My advice to you would be to take the money, abort that baby, and find some other dude to knock you up if you're that desperate for a baby. I already made an appointment at the clinic for you to get it done on Thursday at 4 and it's already been paid for. Think about it, Spencer. I know you'll make the right choice if you know what's best for you."_

Spencer's eyes never left the man's face. She hoped she'd never have to see that man again. Even though she always knew the odds of him not finding them were little, she still hoped. Why couldn't he just leave things alone? Spencer and Lucy were perfectly fine. They were about to be perfectly fine with their new life with Toby. It's just like him to show up at a bad time. Right, when she's just starting to get her life together. Things are finally going well for her and her daughter. She's happy with Toby right now and ready to settle down with him. Now Spencer's worse nightmare is back ready to cause trouble. Lucy got up and moved closer to her mother, hugging her legs.

"Mommy who's that?"

Spencer tugged her daughter far away from the man, "it's no one, baby. Don't worry about it. Just stay here for a minute."

"Come here, Lucy why don't we see what we have for dessert. I think Hanna made some brownies and cookies for you," Emily reached for the little girl's hand and lead her towards the dessert table.

"I'll just be a minute," Spencer said to Toby.

"Spencer," Toby said.

Spencer knew that he wanted answers. She'll give him some he just really needs to get that other guy to leave first.

"I'll be right back," she promised.

Toby watched her walk away and over to the strange man who showed up uninvited. His eyes never left them as he watched them engage in what looked like an intense conversation. Based on the look on Spencer's face, she's not happy about whatever the guy was saying. Toby couldn't stay standing there any longer. He walked over to Spencer and whoever this guy is to find out what's going on.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Spencer hissed at the guy.

"It's good to see you too Spencer," he spoke in his annoying cocky British voice.

Spencer folded her arms, "I'm not asking you again. Why the hell did you come here?"

"I'm sorry, I thought this was a community event."

"You have no business here."

"I just wanted to see my daughter is all."

Spencer shook her head angrily, "you can't be here."

"I just wanted to know what my daughter looked like."

"Stop saying that."

"Stop saying what?" He questioned.

"Stop calling her your daughter. She is not your daughter. You have no part in her life. Now, you need to leave."

"Oh, and who's going to make me leave?"

"I am," Toby stepped up.

The other guy stared at Toby with a goofy smirk, "oh, I see you've got yourself a little bodyguard, Spencer. Good for you. I take it he protects your family while getting special benefits."

"Spencer told you to leave, so you need to go," Toby ordered.

"Go?" That man chuckled. "But I just got here." He looked at Spencer. "Just tell me which one is my daughter."

"None of them are yours," Spencer said harshly. "You wanted nothing to do with any of this, remember? That's what you got. That hasn't changed. You have never and will never get anything from me, so as I said before, it's time for you to leave. Don't bother coming around here again."

"I'm not telling you again, sir," Toby said, firmly. "Leave."

His eyes grew angry and annoyed as he looked at the both of them.

"Fine," the man said. He leaned in and whispered something to Spencer before going, "this isn't over."

With that, the man turned out of the backyard, got back in his black sports car, and drove off. The second he was gone, Spencer put a hand over her chest and was about ready to collapse. Her mind was spinning and her whole body tensed up. Not in a good way.

"Spence," she almost jumped when a hand touched her shoulder, but relaxed when she realized it was only Toby.

"Do I dare ask you who that man was?"

Spencer took a deep breath before speaking, "that's Colin, Lucy's father."

* * *

Lucy seems fine right now," Spencer spoke on the phone with Emily that night.

A few minutes after Colin left Emily's, the party ended. Spencer and Toby took Lucy home and the two of them have been on high alert ever since. At first, Spencer wasn't even too sure that they should be here right now. Colin is already in town. He found them at Emily's house. It wouldn't be that hard for him to find them all here. This place here with Toby was supposed to be their safe place. It wouldn't be so safe if Colin showed up here too. Toby finally convinced her that they'd be fine here for one night. If she still felt this way in the morning, he would take them to a safe house far away from here. Toby's with Lucy tucking her into bed right now, so Spencer knows she's in good hands right now. Lucy won't be sleeping alone in her room tonight they both decided. She'll be sleeping in the bed with them. She's slept there before, so it won't be too much of a problem. Neither one of them wants to risk the chance of Colin sneaking in in the middle of the night and hurting Lucy.

"Did she know who that man was?" Emily asked.

"No," Spencer leaned against the doorframe to hers and Toby's room. "And she's not going to for as long as I can help it."

"Maybe you should tell her. Lucy needs to understand how dangerous that man is, Spencer."

"I told Lucy that the man who showed up tonight was bad news and to not go near him if we happened to see him out in public. That's all she needs to know for right now and Toby agrees that telling Lucy who that man is might raise too many questions. Lucy's only four-years-old, she won't understand why she can't go near her father no matter what we tell her."

"Okay, sorry I brought it up."

"It's fine," Spencer sighed. "Look, Lucy and I are staying here with Toby and tomorrow he's taking us to some safe house."

"A safe house where?" Emily asked.

"I can't tell you where we're going. The less you know, the better. It's apart of the protection program."

"You're going under protective service?"

"Yeah, Toby's protective service," Spencer tried to make a joke out of it.

"He just wants to protect you and keep you safe."

"I know."

"Well, since you're trying to stay on the down low, I guess we should cut this phone call short," Emily suggested.

"Yeah. Look, I don't know the next time I'll be able to check in so if you don't hear from me I just want to say thanks, Emily. Thanks for always being here for me and Lucy."

"You don't have to thank me, Spencer. We're friends. It's what we do for each other."

"Yeah," Spencer smiles lightly. "You're right."

"Give Lucy and Toby a hug for me."

"I will. Goodnight, Emily."

"Goodnight."

After getting off the phone with Emily, Spencer sighed and leaned back against the wall. A pair of headlights shined in through the window which alarmed her. Spencer stepped away from the wall and peeked out the window. The lights to a black car shut off and the car just sat there. Spencer could see two figures sitting in the front seats of the car, but couldn't tell who they were.

"Toby," Spencer called out.

Toby stepped out of the bedroom and joined her by the window, "what?"

"Do you see that car parked across the street? I think someone's watching the house."

"I called the station and asked them to send a patrol car out to keep a look out for Colin. That's Scott and Ryan."

"Scott and Ryan," Spencer nodded. "You didn't tell me Scott and Ryan were coming."

"I'm sorry," Toby put both of his hands on either side of her shoulders. "I was going to tell you I called someone, but Lucy pulled me into telling her one more bedtime story."

Spencer smiled, leaning back against his chest, "look at you already falling under her spell."

"I think I fell under her spell the first time she asked me to pet my dog."

"Yeah, there's something about Lucy that makes it hard to say no."

Toby chuckled, kissing the crown of her head, "I think I know where she gets that power from."

"Oh really? And who might that be?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"Lucy may make it hard to say no to, but you make it impossible," he flirted, nuzzling the back of her neck.

A huge smile spread across her lips. Spencer turned her neck around so she was looking at him. Toby looked down at her with his arms wrapped around her from behind.

"I kind of like you," she said.

He laughed, kissing the tip of her nose, "and I kind of like you too."

Toby wrapped his arms around her for a moment and Spencer pressed her head against his chest. As Toby rubbed his hands up along Spencer's back, he could feel how tense she was. He rubbed her back soothingly and Spencer instantly began to relax.

"Spence," Toby mumbled against her hair.

"Yes?" She pulled her head back to look at him.

He sighed, "I was thinking that our friends and their families should come with us to the safe house."

"What?"

"I just think it would be the best and easiest way to keep everyone safe. You said it yourself, this guy could come after your friends."

Spencer let go of him and took a step away from him, "you want Aria, Hanna, Emily, and Alison to just pack up their families and come away with us? I appreciate the suggestion, but we're not going away on vacation here."

"I know that. Don't you think the best way to assure your friend's safety is to just bring them along with us? We can't take any risks here. Just talk to your friends and see what they want to do. Wouldn't you feel more comfortable and safe with your real friends around you?"

Spencer smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck, "I feel safe with you." She sighed, giving in.

"Well, I guess it would be nice to have my friends there. There's no way he could come after my friends if I know where they are."

"Okay," Toby said. "So, give them a call and see what they want to do."

* * *

 **There you go! You finally know who Lucy's father is. He's back and he's up to something. Toby plans to take Spencer and Lucy to a safe house far away. Do you think the girls will want to join them at the safe house? Things might get a little crazy, so stay tuned!**


	23. Chapter 23

**R &R**

* * *

"On the count of three. One two three…"

Hanna lifted her last big bag out of the trunk of the car with a loud grunt and set it down on the gravel driveway. She took a deep breath and rested a hand on her hip.

"I think that's everything I brought," Hanna said.

"Geez Hanna," Aria came back and leaned against the butt of the car. "Did you pack up everything in your house to bring?"

"Well, Spencer didn't say how long we'd all be here, so I packed a lot."

Alison walked up to the car to grab her last bag of clothes. Alison packed a lot of stuff as well, but not as much as Hanna. The girls, Spencer, and Toby will all be staying at this beach house. The place they were sent to was a private beach house along the shores of Myrtle Beach. It's closed off, far away from other homes, and off the grid.

"You brought every clothes item you own," Aria said. "You know this place does have a washer and dryer."

Hanna rolled her eyes, "I did not pack every item I own, Aria. I do have a kid of my own with me that I had to pack stuff for. Plus, Caleb can't be trusted to pack everything we need, so I had to do it."

The three of them walked up the pathway to the door and caught up with everyone inside. Toby was giving a brief tour of the house and pointing out all the rooms. A long time ago, Toby and his parents actually lived here. Toby was five-years-old when his parents rented this place for a summer. The place has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. All of the bathrooms are a full bath, but one of them is connected to the master bedroom. One of the bedrooms is downstairs. That's the master bedroom. Spencer, Toby, and Lucy will be staying in that room. There are two other fine furnished bedrooms upstairs. Aria, Ezra, and Layla will take one of those bedrooms and Hanna, Caleb, and Matthew will take the other room. In the basement, there is a room that's fairly new. It was just added as an actual bedroom four years ago. Alison and Emily will be taking that room.

"This place is really nice, Toby," Aria said.

"Thank you. I haven't been here in years though," Toby said. "I think I stayed here once with my parents and my mother spent the whole time cleaning."

"Oh my god we have a view of the ocean," Emily gasped, looking out the window. "Ali, come here and look at this."

Alison walked over to where Emily was standing and looked out the window. The tidal waves crashed on the shore and rolled back into the crystal blue. Alison smiled at the view and leaned her head against Emily's shoulder.

"Mommy can I go swim in the water?" Lucy asked.

Spencer stared out at the ocean, "I don't know, baby. It looks beautiful out there but I don't think it's warm enough out for swimming."

Lucy sighed in disappointment, "but I want to go on the sand."

Spencer kneeled down in front of Lucy, "I'll tell you what, we can go play outside in the sand if you promise me you won't go in the water, okay?"

Lucy nodded in agreement. Spencer stood back up with the other adults. Lucy ran down the hall to their bedroom.

"Spence," Hanna said. "I could watch the children down at the beach if you and Toby want some time alone together. You know we're all going to be stuck here for awhile. You might miss being alone with him."

"No, it's okay," Spencer said. "I don't mind. I'll come out."

"Okay."

After everybody got settled into their rooms, they all huddled down to the beach. Toby and Ezra collected firewood to build a bonfire for everyone to enjoy. The girls sat on beach chairs while watching the kids play nicely together on the beach. Caleb finally came out of the house with the cooler filled with drinks and some snacks for the kids. He set it down near the stack of wood then took his place next to Hanna. Lucy, Layla, and Matthew sat on the beach building the ultimate sand castle. Which was really just a bunch of sand packed together with a leaf on sticking out of it. Nonetheless, they seem to be having fun.

"Hey, Spence," Emily noticed how strange she's been acting. "You okay?"

Spencer took a deep breath, "I'm fine it's just… I'm really feeling a little bad about everything that's happening right now. My family's in danger and I'm dragging all of my friends into my own problems. This so isn't fair to any of you guys and I hate that you're torn away from your lives because I was once young and stupid."

"Spencer that's not what's happening at all," Emily said. "You have done nothing to deserve this. We're all here together. We're handling this thing together."

"But you guys shouldn't have to be," Spencer replied. "You guys all have your own families. You have your own lives to live. You all have jobs. You guys shouldn't be dropping everything."

"We're all here because we want to be. You're forgetting that we're all family here. Every single one of us. You're a mother to Lucy as well as an aunt to Hanna and Aria's kids. We may not be blood-related, yes, but we're all so much stronger than that. I hope someday you'll be an aunt to my kid as well."

Spencer gave her a look," your kid? Did I miss something?"

Emily smiled, "we were going to wait to until after your wedding to announce it, but I'll say it now. Alison and I have decided to have a baby."

Spencer and the other girls were shaking. Aria and Hanna dropped their conversation to stare at Emily. Alison took Emily's hand and smiled to confirm the news.

"A baby?" Hanna questioned. "Like a baby as in a human baby?"

"No, a baby monkey," Emily replied sarcastically. "Of course, a human baby!"

"Wow," Aria said.

Spencer sat up in her chair, "when did you guys decide this?"

Emily looked at Alison and she spoke, "well, we've actually been talking about it for some time now. Just over a couple months ago we made up our minds. We talked to some doctors and were matched with a sperm donor."

"All ready?" Hanna asked.

"Yes," Alison grinned. "As of two weeks ago, I'm pregnant with our baby."

The three girls smiled. Emily kissed Alison's cheek and rubbed her hand up along Alison's shoulder.

"That's amazing, guys," Spencer said. "Congratulations."

"And you two are really sure about this?" Aria asked.

"Yeah," Emily nodded. "We are and anyway it's too late for us to change our mind."

"I'd say," Hanna laughed. "Congratulations you guys. You're going to make such great parents."

"Well," Alison flipped her hair. "We've watched some pretty great mothers raise their children."

"Ah!" Lucy screamed. Everybody looked up to see Lucy running up the beach to her mother. Matthew and Layla tried running with her but weren't as fast. Lucy finally reached her mother and slipped into her lap.

"Easy, girl," Spencer gripped her daughter. "What's wrong?"

"Matthew dug up some sand and this big, black spider crawled towards me," Lucy cried.

"Oh, well, I don't think the spider was going to hurt you," Spencer told her.

"Mom," Lucy said like she did something totally appalling. "It was running at me with all eight legs."

"Oh," Spencer chuckled. "My mistake. Just keep your distance from the spider and don't worry about him, alright?" She kissed her daughter's hair. "Why don't you run up to the house with Aria to get cleaned up? I think dinner will be ready soon."

Lucy nodded and got off her mother's lap. Aria stood up with Layla on her hip. Hanna sent Matthew up to the house along with them.

As soon as the children got cleaned up, the gang sat around the fire for dinner. The sun had just finished setting over the water. The sky is a dark purple/dark blue color. Aria walked along the beach taking pictures of the horizon, the house, and some of the pictures of her friends. They may not be here on a special vacation getaway, but she's glad to be around her friends and family.

"I can't get over how beautiful it is out here," Hanna gawked.

"It's very pretty," Emily agreed.

"Toby, would it be okay if we lived here forever because I never want to leave this place," Hanna joked.

"Bite your tongue," Spencer laughed. "If anyone gets this place, it will be us."

"I'm prepared to fight both of you for it," Aria said.

"Aria you're tiny, Spencer and Hanna would crush you. Especially, Spencer," Emily said.

Alison wrapped her arms around Emily, "it might be nice to get a beach house of our own, don't you think?"

Emily smiled, "maybe someday."

"I want a beach house," Caleb said. "Or a lake house. Some nice place our family can get away to when we need to.

"I agree," Hanna said. "Let's work on getting a vacation home."

"Mommy, can we make smores now?" Matthew asked.

"Did you finish your hotdog?" Hanna questioned. Matthew nodded.

"Alright, you may have one s'more, but you'll have to get ready for bed soon after."

Spencer finished roasting a marshmallow for Lily and squished it between two graham crackers and chocolate. Spencer blew on it before handing the s'more to Lily. Lily thanked her mother and happily began chopping away at her tasty treat. Aria stood up with a very sleepy Layla in her arms.

"I think it's time to get this sleepy child up to bed," Aria said.

"Layla looks exhausted," Spencer said.

"Yeah, but I was talking about Ezra," Aria joked.

Everybody laughed. Ezra sighed and walked with his family up to the house after saying goodnight. Pretty soon, Matthew finished his s'more and was heading up to the house with his father. Emily told Alison that she wanted to go up to the house to shower, so they went inside too. Spencer, Toby, and Hanna stayed back to put out the fire and bring everything inside.

"Mommy, when are we going home?" Matthew asked as Hanna tucked him into bed.

"Not for awhile, baby," she told him.

"Are we here for some kind of vacation?"

"Something like that."

"Are we going to call grandma."

"Not tonight," Hanna said while running her fingers through his light brown hair.

Matthew has always looked similar to his father. His hair is a lighter color than Caleb's, but the texture and shagginess are the same. His eyes, nose, and ears look like Caleb's too. His eyes are a deep brown color with a unique glow. Caleb has said Matthews mouth and attitude is all Hanna.

"I know we usually call grandma every Monday and Friday, but we won't be calling her for awhile," Hanna told him.

"Why?"

"Because our cell phones don't work here."

"Why?"

"It has something to do with the waves, I don't know," she shook her head. "All that I know is, we probably won't have any contact with grandma until we get back home, okay?"

Matthew nodded. Hanna finished tucking him in then moved to get herself ready for bed.

In the master bathroom, Spencer stepped out of the shower and wrapped a white towel around herself. The windows are all steamed up and the air is all steamy. She tied the towel securely around her body before reaching for her toothbrush on the self. She got her toothbrush wet, put toothpaste on it, then began brushing her teeth. Halfway into brushing, there was a gentle knock on the door. Toby slipped in through the door and shut it behind him.

"Hey," she said, before going back to brushing.

"Hey," Toby stood behind her, kissed her bare shoulder, then her forehead.

Spencer finished brushing her teeth then rinsed her brush before putting it back in its spot. She looked in the mirror that was just beginning to clear up. She sighed deeply. Toby put his hands on her shoulders and began rubbing them gently.

"I got Lucy to sleep," he told her.

"That's great."

"Hey," he stopped rubbing her shoulders and just held them.

She turned her head as far around as it could go without hurting her neck, "what?"

"I love you. I feel like I don't say that enough."

Spencer smiled, "I love you too."

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. Spencer smiled against his lips and returned the gesture. The kiss intensified as Spencer slowly turned all the way around.

"I realized," Toby spoke between kisses. "I haven't had the chance to really kiss you today. I've missed it."

She stopped for a second to chuckle, "yeah, me too."

Their lips met again for a steamy, loving kiss. Toby ran his hands down her bare back, stopping where her towel is. He wanted now more than ever to take that towel off of her but knew he couldn't. Not with Lucy in the other room and all their friends in the house. So, they stopped before things could go any further.

"You know," Toby began. "If I came in twenty minutes ago, we could've had a quicky in the shower. Let the sounds of the water drown it out."

Spencer grinned, pecking his lips, "I thought about doing that, but," she raised her eyebrow seductively. "We both know how you love to take your time with me."

He groaned deeply behind his smirk, kissing her hard, but quick, "god, Hastings you make me crazy."

"And so I don't drive you any crazier," she pulled her towel. "I need to get changed, so you should probably…"

"Go," he nodded, dropping his head. "Fine. I'll see you out there."

She pecked him once more before sending him out.

* * *

They all just got done eating lunch and now, Spencer and Hanna are cleaning up the kitchen. The kids wanted to go down to the beach so, everybody else went out there. Toby went to the store to pick up some groceries for the house. Spencer washed the dish then handed them over to Hanna to put in the dishwasher. Things have been pretty calm here. Spencer worried that everyone would get irritated with being stuck here for two weeks, but everyone has grown accustomed to living here pretty well.

"Have you and Toby made any wedding plans yet?" Hanna asked.

"Plans?" Spencer almost forgot for a second that she was engaged.

"For your wedding with Toby. Have you made any plans?"

"Oh," Spencer got back to washing the glass she was holding. "No, no plans made yet. We've been pretty caught up keeping things running here."

"Wow," was all Hanna could say to that.

Spencer caught on to something. She paused and turned to face Hanna, "what?"

"Nothing," Hanna shrugged and sighed. "It's just, you got engaged three weeks ago and you haven't thought of anything. You know, after Caleb proposed, I started planning right away. That actually drove Caleb insane, because after I said yes, he just wanted to get me to be."

"Believe me, Hanna, I would much rather be planning my wedding with Toby right now instead of running for my life."

"So, why aren't you? Spencer, we're far away from Rosewood, that guy, and all that other drama. Why don't you work on plans while you guys are here and by the time we go back home, you'll be ready to put those plans in motion? Aren't you excited to marry Toby?"

"Of course, I am!" Spencer practically exclaimed. "Toby's wonderful, he's perfect, and I'm totally in love with him. I'm so excited to marry him and the idea of actually being his wife is just…" She pauses for a second to breathe.

"We've already lived together and things were going great. But I know us actually being married will feel different and somehow make things feel real. I keep having these visions of me coming home from work to my husband and getting kissed by my husband. I see Lucy sitting at the table finishing her homework and Toby's at the stove listening to her while she reads. I can see our one-year-old son sitting on the floor looking at his learning books. I can see it all and I want it all."

Hanna gave her a little smile, "your one-year-old son. Spencer, are you pregnant?"

"No," Spencer laughed. "No, it's just part of the plan. The wonderful, perfect plan along with being the wife of Toby Cavanaugh."

Hanna's smile grew, "I just love that you're already thinking about having a kid with Toby and it being a boy."

Spencer smiled, leaning against the counter, "Toby told me he's always wanted a son. He loves Lucy and he'd be happy with another daughter too, but I think a brother would be good for Lucy. I know Toby would make a terrific father. He's already so good with Lucy."

"Huh, I think Matthew might like a brother or sister," Hanna laughed. "Maybe I can get Caleb to commit."

"Lucy might like a younger sibling, but then again, I think she enjoys being the center of attention."

"Isn't that true for every first child?"

They looked at each other and laughed. Spencer turned her gaze towards the window. Her smile remained as she saw Toby walking up the porch with groceries in his hands. He looks so cute carrying groceries. Spencer titled her head and continued to admire him. When the door opened, Spencer gave Hanna a look before going to help Toby with the bags.

"Speaking of babies," Hanna thought to herself. "I wonder where Caleb is."

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 **I know this was another slow chapter, but I wanted to write something simple and a little fluffy. Like Spencer and Toby in the bathroom, and Spencer and Hanna talking in the kitchen. I think you guys are going to really like next chapter. I've got something big planned. Stay tuned and as always, please leave a review. (:**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey, guys, I know it has bee since I last updated, but here I am now with a well-deserved chapter for you guys. I think you guys (I'm hoping) you guys will enjoy it.**

 **R &R**

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The sun was out. Birds were singing. The waves rolled up and down along the shore. For the first time since they arrived, it wasn't body-numbing cold out. It still wasn't warm enough for the kids to swim, but warm enough that they didn't need a coat. At noon, the temperature hit a comfortable 62 degrees Fahrenheit. The kids were down at the beach running through the sand. They ran, smiled, laughed, and played their little hearts out.

At some point during their play, Lucy convinced Toby to come play tag with them. Matthew got Caleb to play too. And since Toby and Caleb got drafted to play, Ezra decided to join them. Spencer lounged about in her beach chair wearing her favorite pair of sunglasses while watching them all play. Emily and Alison are up on the deck chilling in the hot tub. Hanna and Aria are down on the beach next to Spencer. The three women watched their men play with the kids, smiling and laughed anytime Ezra fell down.

Spencer's soft pink lips turned up into a smile when she witnessed Toby catch Lucy and start tickling her. Lucy giggled as she squirmed around in his arms trying to escape. Getting tickled was one of Lucy's weaknesses. If you start tickling her, no matter what mood she's in, Lucy would crack up in seconds. Spencer stared off at the view like she's looking at a daydream. Maybe she is. All of a sudden, Toby stopped tickling Lucy and she began to whisper something into his ear. Toby listened to her with a nod and smiled. After hearing everything Lucy had to say, they shared a laugh before Toby gently set Lucy back on the sand. He slowly rose to his feet and began making his way towards them. Toby was heading towards Spencer. Spencer looked at him, trying to understand what he was up to. As he got closer to her, Toby struggled to hide the devious smile on his face. Spencer lifted her sunglasses above her head and gave him a look.

"What'c you doing?"

Toby shrugged, "nothing." His smile grew wider as he got closer.

"Toby," Spencer looked at him cautiously.

She sat up in her chair and clenched the arms. Toby approached her. The smile on his face grew, and Spencer almost let her guard down. With a little effort, Toby picked Spencer up and carried her over his shoulder.

"WHAA… TOBY CAVANAUGH PUT ME DOWN!"

Toby held her firmly, but comfortably as he began tickling her. Spencer couldn't stop herself from laughing. She squirmed around in his arms much like Lucy did. Toby set her down on the sand, but still held her from behind and tickled her sides. Spencer laughed and struggled to get him to stop. They tumbled back into the sand when Toby finally cut it out. They were both still laughing as they sat in the sand. Spencer flung a little sand at him and smiled.

"What was that?"

Toby grinned, "somebody told me that you're very ticklish."

Spencer playfully rolled her eyes, "you're such a dork."

Toby wrapped his arms around her and held her against his side, "and you're ticklish. I gotta remember that when we're married."

Her face flushed when he kissed her lovingly on the cheek. It felt so good to have his arms around her. They sat there together in the warm sand just holding one another. Spencer was sat up against his back and his arms were around her from behind. He rested his chin on the top of her head, occasionally kissing her hair. It was in that moment that Spencer realized that she doesn't want to wait. Not anymore. She wants to marry Toby. And she wants to do it now.

In the late afternoon, everyone filed inside for the night. Aria turned on the television and put Tangled on for the kids. Lucy sat on the floor with her crayons and coloring book. Matthew is playing with his collection of race cars. A gift he got from his grandmother on his third birthday. Layla sat with her mother on the couch paying attention to the movie playing in front of her.

Hanna, Emily, and Alison sat on the other couch doing their own thing. Two of the men were in the kitchen making dinner. Toby came out of the room after taking a shower in search for Spencer. He looked around the house but couldn't seem to find her. She's not on the couch with the other girls. She's not talking to Lucy on the floor while they colored together. She's not in the kitchen. Toby stared out the patio door and saw someone sitting in the sand down at the beach. Spencer's outside by herself.

Toby slid open the patio door and stepped outside. It felt cooler, but still pretty comfortable for this time of year. Toby guessed it was 50 degrees. The sun dipped into the water reflecting yellow and orange light. She didn't even hear him approach as he plopped down in the sand next to her. She looked over when he sighed and crossed his arms over his folded knees.

"It's a beautiful evening," he commented.

Spencer nodded, "yeah."

"It's also quiet. Well, if you don't count the crashing of the waves and birds flying overhead."

"It doesn't bother me."

"Right," he nodded. "So, why are you out here?"

"I just wanted to watch the sunset."

"Spence," he smiled at her. "I know you love sunsets, but that's not the reason you came out here to sit by yourself."

She shrugged, "I don't know why. I just came out here to think about things and I guess I stayed later than I expected."

"What's on your mind?"

Spencer held her knees together, "Hanna and I had a talk the other day in the kitchen. She asked me how we were coming with the wedding planning."

"Oh," Toby seemed to get where she was going with this. "What did you say?"

"I said nothing. I told her we haven't even got around to making any plans yet. We haven't picked a date or a place to do it. We haven't even picked out what kind of wedding theme we want. Do we want a fall themed wedding or a spring wedding? It has to be between those two seasons because you're not a big fan of hot weather and I don't care for the cold. We haven't talked about any of those things and it's almost been a month since we got engaged."

"I know things are crazy with having to leave Rosewood," Toby said. "But we're here now. We could start planning if that's what you wanted."

"I just," she sighed then looked at him. "I don't want to wait anymore."

"Wait to start planning?"

"No, I don't want to wait to get married. I want to do it as soon as possible. Why does everything in life need a plan? Why can't we just jump and go?"

"We could," he said.

"We could what?"

"Do it… Jump. We could get married."

"You mean now?"

"Yeah, now."

"W-what we can't get married now."

"Why not?"

"We don't have a plan."

Toby chuckled, "you just said you didn't want to make a plan, you just want to get married as soon as possible. Well, now is soon and it's definitely possible."

Spencer looked at him, "okay, but how would we do it? Do you see a church nearby? The only thing close is a gas station that's twenty miles away."

"We could do it right here on the beach. It's a beautiful place and it's not too hot or cold. Lucy's here. All of our friends are here and they're all we planned to have at our wedding in the first place."

"What about a preacher? We can't call one to come out here."

"Aria can marry us."

"Aria?"

"Yeah, didn't she get certified?" Toby took her hand. "Come on, Spencer. You don't want to wait anymore and honestly, I don't want to wait anymore either. So let's do it. Let's get married."

"You're serious about this."

"I'm very serious about this. Spencer, I love you and there's nothing I want more in this world than to be your husband and Lucy's father."

"Okay," she smiled at him in disbelief. "Okay, I'm in. Let's do it. Let's get married."

Toby smiled and kissed her right on the lips. The two got up from their spot in the sand and ran up to the house to tell everyone. As soon as everyone heard the news, they were all thrilled. They all jumped on board and offered to help with anything they could. Lucy was excited when she was told she would be the flower girl. Hanna was picked to be Spencer's maid of honor. Caleb got selected to be the best man. Aria willingly agreed to host the ceremony. Spencer and Toby are about to have the best quickest wedding that anyone's ever seen. Neither one of them could hardly wait to do it.

* * *

The next day, all plans went in motion. Emily and Alison woke up early that morning to bake a wedding cake. Spencer told them that they didn't need a cake, but they insisted. Plus, Hanna added that a wedding is not a wedding without the wedding cake. There were no bridesmaids dresses picked out so the girls just put on the nicest dresses they had with them.

Hanna put on a convertible forest green dress with tan open toe shoes. Emily and Alison both had blue dresses. Emily's was a navy dress and Alison's was a lighter blue wrap dress. Of course, leave it to Aria to be the only want to pack a dress with black and white zebra prints. They all looked rather pretty. As for the boys, all they had were clean white shirts and black pants. Toby had a white button up shirt, so that made him stand out. Hanna made Matthew wear a light blue shirt with khakis, which at first he refused to wear. The only reason Matthew agreed to wear it was when Hanna said he'd get cake. Aria found a nice blue skirt and white top to dress Layla in.

The wedding began around early noon. The wedding spot was decorated with white candles lit up. They were lit to make a pathway for when the bride walks out. Toby stood at the opposite end of the candle lit path along with Caleb and Ezra waiting for the girls to come. As a tradition, the bridesmaids walked down first. Then, Lucy walked out with her little basket of leafs. There weren't any real flowers on the beach so earlier Aria helped Lucy pick up colorful leafs along the beach to throw. Toby smiled at Lucy as she reached the end of the path. She stood behind Aria, Alison and Emily while the maid of honor made her way down the aisle. As soon as Hanna reached the end, Spencer appeared. Spencer took Toby's breath away the second he saw her.

Spencer didn't have a traditional white dress. It's a casual white dress with a white bow wrapped in front. Her hair was down in beautiful waves. Her makeup was the typical dark smoky eye and peach lip balm. Toby could feel the moisture in his eyes as she got closer to him. No woman in the world was more beautiful than she.

Toby reached for Spencer's hand, she smiled taking it without saying a word. Aria stepped up to her place and cleared her throat ready to begin. The wedding was a beautiful blur of tears, romantic vows, and heartfelt exchanges. Surprisingly, Toby had wedding rings for them to use. Toby shyly admitted that he bought the rings a few days after he proposed. They're both white gold with matching hearts engraved on the band.

"Now," Aria took a deep breath. "It is my honor to officially announce you, man and wife. Toby kiss your bride."

They both grinned before Toby stepped forward. Spencer was already reaching for his face when he moved to get closer to her. The palms of her hands rested against his cheeks as his soft, tender lips found hers. Toby caressed up and down her back as he kissed the girl he just made his wife. After a few minutes, the two pulled apart and gazed at each other lovingly.

Toby brushed his fingers through her hair and said, "I love you."

"Well, I hope so," she joked. "Because starting right now, you're stuck with me."

He smiled at her, leaned in and planted another long kiss on her lips. If it weren't for all the children around making gagging noises, they probably would've kept at it for much longer. The second they pulled apart the second time, Lucy ran up to the both of them and held them tight.

"My family," she said, smiling at both of them.

"That's right, baby girl," Spencer rubbed her back, glancing at Toby. "Our family."

Toby smiled at Spencer then kissed Lucy's hair. He brought the two of them in a hug and held them close. This is his family now. He'll do anything that's possible in this world to protect them.

After a couple gets married, the Honeymoon comes shortly after. They talked before about where they should go on their honeymoon and what they should do. Right now, they can't really do much for their honeymoon. The real honeymoon will just have to be pushed back until they have a real good time to do it. However, tonight they want to celebrate being newly weds. Hanna had insisted they do something together in private to celebrate their first night married.

For the couple's wedding night, their friends set up a beautiful tent decorated with lights and candles around the outside. They set up down on the beach away from the house so they'd feel like they were really alone for the night. Emily and Alison offered to take care of Lucy for the night while Spencer enjoys her time with Toby. It's all perfectly planned.

As the night fell down around them, everyone started working their way back up to the beach house. As the others went up to the house, Toby reached for his wife's hand and smiled as they walked together to their beautifully decorated tent. The light from the heart shaped candles were the first thing Spencer noticed. That and the white string of lights wrapped around the cover of the tent. From inside the tent, Spencer could see something glowing inside. Toby gave her hand a squeeze and said.

"After you Ms. Cavanaugh."

Spencer grinned and stepped right into the Enchanting looking tent. The inside amazed them both. Their friends had laid down a bunch of blankets and pillows for them. In the corner of the tent, there's a bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket. Beside the bucket are two wine glasses. Then, next to the classes are a bowl of chocolate covered strawberries (Spencer's favorite snack) and a box of Rice Krispy Treats (Toby's favorite snack). There's a light connected to a string hanging from the ceiling of the tent. This has got to be the cutest thing their friends have ever done for them.

"This looks so cool," Spencer gawked.

"It looks really cool," Toby agreed.

"I can't believe they did all of this for us."

"Well, you do a lot for them," he told her.

She looked at him, "so do you."

"What do you want to do now?"

Spencer turned towards him smiled and started undoing his tie, "I have a few things in mind that we can do. All of which involve getting close and little talking."

He smiled before molding his lips to Spencer's. While kissing, Toby moved his hands around her back and began undoing the buttons on her white dress. The sleeves fell down her arms and Toby kissed her bare shoulder. As the night became darker their passion for each other burned brighter. After fumbling around, Spencer removed Toby's shirt from his body. Then the two tumbled back on the bed of blankets, ready to indulge in the other.

"I love you," Spencer mumbled.

After their very intense and heated moment, the two lay side by side facing each other. After catching his own breath, he reached for Spencer's hand and began playing with her fingers. She smiled and kept her eyes focused on him. With his free hand, he ran it down the length of her hair, letting his fingers get caught in her curls. Her cheeks were still flushed from all the _physical_ activity. He moved his fingers from her hand and rested the palm of his hand on her cheek.

"I love you so much," he whispered. "I can't believe I'm now married to the most beautiful woman on the planet."

Her cheeks turned crimson as she smiled, "you're just saying that."

"I'm saying that because it's the truth," he caressed her cheek. "You are so beautiful. My wife."

She grinned and leaned closer to kiss him. His hand slid to her smooth, bare back and found a spot there as Spencer climbed over him to have a repeat of earlier that night.

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 **Again, sorry for the long wait, but at least you got a chapter now! I'm not too sure when I'll update again because you know holidays are coming up. Just no I haven't completely forgotten about this story. Though I'm sure a lot of my readers have. For those of you who haven't given up on this story, I'm still here. I'll be updating when I can.**

 **Share thoughts on the chapter and thoughts on the Spoby wedding. I know that's not at all what you guys expected for their wedding, but I didn't feel like waiting until the last 2 chapters like I normally would. Plus, I think having them get married sooner will play out better with my endgame plot.**


	25. Chapter 25

**R &R Share ****what you like from the following chapter in the reviews. Please don't be one of those people who just comment "update."**

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It has been one week since Spencer and Toby got married and they've been enjoying every second of it. Not much feels different but there's something about the fact they're now legally married that makes them feel closer. Lucy has enjoyed the fact that she finally has a trusting man in here life that she can call dad. Toby's been amazing to Lucy since the day they met but he's been even greater since the wedding.

Just this morning Lucy went for a walk down on the beach with just Toby. They stayed out there for almost three hours together build a sandcastle and running around being silly. Lucy was having a ball. Spencer stood up on the outside patio watching the two loves of her life together. Seeing them together pleases her heart greatly.

"What kind of cake do you want for your birthday?" Toby asked Lucy while giving her a piggy-back up to the house.

"Chocolate with princess pink frosting," she said.

Tomorrow is Lucy's 5th birthday and everyone is excited to celebrate. However, Nobody is excited as Lucy. Toby is also excited because it's the first birthday he gets to spend with his daughter. Spencer guessed they were talking birthday plans down at the beach because that's what they were talking about when they came up for lunch.

"I hope my mommy makes spa-spa-spaghetti for my birthday," the little girl commented.

"Do you like spaghetti?"

Lucy nodded, "it's my favorite. I also like chicken fingers but mommy already said no to having chicken fingers for my birthday dinner."

"Well," Toby said, glancing up at his wife when they finally reached her. "I think we can convince mommy to make spaghetti for your birthday dinner."

Spencer smiled at the two goofballs. The three of them joined everyone inside for Lunch. Hanna had already set Mathew down at the table and made him a grilled cheese sandwich and a few carrot sticks. Layla was sitting in her booster chair eating banana slices.

"What do you want for lunch Lucy?" Spencer asked.

"Chicken fingers!" She exclaimed as Toby lowered her to the floor.

"Sorry babe, we don't have any chicken fingers right now," Spencer said.

"Aw," Lucy whined. "Then peanut butter and jelly. But I want Toby to make it because he cuts mine into a butterfly."

Spencer playfully rolled her eyes, "oh sure just because he can turn a sandwich into a butterfly."

"Don't worry Spence," Toby patted her shoulder playfully. "I'll teach you the butterfly trick soon."

"Can't wait," she played along.

Toby walked with Lucy into the kitchen and began getting her lunch ready. Spencer poured apple juice for all the children and set the cups on the table.

"Not fair," Matthew said when he saw Lucy's sandwich cut in the shape of a butterfly. "How come you get a cool looking sandwich and all my dad handed me is a boring one."

"Matthew," Hanna scolded.

"I want a butterfly sandwich!" He whined.

"Too bad Toby only makes it for me," Lucy bragged.

"Lucy," Spencer scolded.

"Hey, bud," Caleb kneeled in front of his son. "I could make you another sandwich in the shape of a butterfly."

Matthews face perked right up, "okay!"

Caleb attempted to make the kind of sandwich Matthew wanted but it came out looking like a mess. Everybody laughed at his pour attempt to cut it up into a butterfly. Hanna couldn't stop laughing and patted his shoulder.

"Why don't we leave the sandwich carving up to Toby," she said.

Caleb nodded, "good idea."

Trying to put Lucy to bed that night was a bit of a struggle. Both Spencer and Toby took separate turns to try to put the little girl to rest. Lucy just kept wanting to talk about her birthday party tomorrow. She kept asking her mom and dad questions about the party wanting to make sure everything would be perfect for tomorrow. Right now, it's after 10 at night and Spencer and Toby are still trying to get Lucy to sleep.

"Will there be lily flowers at my party?" Lucy asked for the hundredth time.

"Yes, baby," Spencer said. "You will have flowers are your party tomorrow."

"What about the cake?" She asked. "I will get a cake right?"

"Of course you're getting a cake," Toby said. "You can't have a birthday without cake."

"Will it be a chocolate cake like I want?"

"Lucy," Spencer sighed, tucking Lucy back under the covers. "It's time you to sleep."

"Mommy I can't sleep. Tomorrow is my birthday and there's so much to plan!"

Toby touched Lucy's shoulder, "Your mother and i will take care of all those plans, honey. Right now, you need to sleep. Don't you want to have lots of energy for your party tomorrow?"

"Yes!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Alright," Toby said. "So you have a lot of energy for tomorrow, you need to get to sleep now. When you wake up tomorrow, we'll all be ready to celebrate your birthday."

"Okay, daddy, I'll go to sleep," Lucy said with a smile.

"Good girl," Toby kissed her softly on the top of the head.

Lucy tried her best to wrap her tiny arms around his frame, "goodnight daddy I love you."

Toby held the little girl and smiled, "I love you too, sweetie."

A sight like that never fails to warm Spencer's heart. After Lucy let go of Toby, she wrapped her arms around her mother. It was easier to get her arms more around her mother since she had a smaller frame then Toby.

"I love you, mommy," Lucy whispered.

"I love you too, babe."

Lucy laid her little head down on her pillow and snuggled underneath the covers to fall asleep. Sighing, Spencer and Toby stood up from Lucy's bed, and slowly away from the room. They shared a look of success that they finally got their little girl to sleep.

"I never knew a little girl could talk so much about her birthday," Toby said.

Spencer laughed, "she's Lucy and she's very much a talker. Plus, she likes to make sure everythings going to be perfect. She's a very stubborn young girl."

"Hmm she gets it from her mother," he teased.

"Hey," she playfully hit his shoulder.

He chuckled, "I'm just saying. You can be a little stubborn and you know i'm right."

She rolled her eyes playfully, "i'm not stubborn, I just like things to be done a certain way and tend to think before I compromise."

"Uh-huh," Toby nodded, then kissed the side of her head. "You're stubborn."

 **Line break**

In the early hours of the morning, Spencer and Toby were awoken by a small body jumping on them. They expected this kind of wake up call the moment they fell asleep that night. It's a very big day for someone.

"It's my birthday! Today's my birthday! Wake up! Wake up!" Lucy sang while jumping on the bed in the space between her parents.

"Up! Up! It's my birthday!"

Lucy plopped down on top of Toby who is now sitting up in bed. A very sleepy Spencer sat up and rubbed her hands over her eyes.

"Today's your birthday," Toby pretended to be shocked. "Wow, I knew today was a big day for someone. How old are you today?"

Lucy held up her hand, "I'm five, daddy."

"Five years old! Wow. You're a big girl."

"There's no way that my little honey bun is five-years-old today," Spencer said.

"Mommy I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm five years old!" She exclaimed. "That's a whole hand!"

"Oh sweetie you will always be my little girl."

"Today is my party," Lucy said.

"Yes."

"Is it going to be big?"

"You bet it is," Toby said. "Everybody is here to celebrate your big day. There's presents, friends, fun games, and of course, birthday cake!"

"Birthday cake!" Lucy grinned.

Spencer laughed, "but before we begin your party, we need to get you bathed and ready for your party."

"Okay!"

Lucy jumped off the double bed and ran into the bathroom. Before slipping out of bed, Spencer leaned over to kiss her husband goodmorning. Toby gave Lucy her bath while Spencer found her something to wear. She dressed Lucy in a white long sleeve sweater and a navy blue knee skirt. Lucy wanted her hair in a French braid which took longer than doing a regular pony-tail. Spencer finished braiding her daughter's hair then moved to get herself dressed.

Outside in the main rooms, everyone else was setting up for Lucy's party. Hanna, Aria, Caleb, and Ezra put up the decorations. Alison and Emily did the cooking and baking for the party. Matthew and Layla even pitched in to help. Matthew helped Alison and Emily mix stuff together. Layla helped Aria wrap presents for Lucy. Well, actually Layla just sat on the floor next to Aria while she wrapped the gifts but she was there for moral support.

"Is everybody ready for me!" Lucy called out from the bedroom.

"We sure are kiddo," Emily answered.

Toby came into the living room dressed in a white t-shirt and black pants.

"Alright," he spoke. "Here she is the big birthday girl, Lucy."

Lucy entered the room and everyone smiled, cheering happy birthday for her. A huge smile took over her face at the decorations and everyone in the room.

"This is awesome!" She exclaimed.

"Lucy," Alison walked over to her with a plastic tiara. "Today you are the birthday princess and everyone knows that every princess deserves a tiara."

Lucy smiled brightly, "thanks aunt Ali."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Alison hugged her. "Happy birthday."

Spencer joined everyone in the living room with two wrapped presents. She added them to the table of presents Aria setup. Lucy was making her way around the room to hear everyone's birthday wishes. Matthew gave her a hug and let her wear his lucky ninja turtle ring. As an adult, it's a silly gesture but for two kids, that means a lot. Hanna and Spencer can't count how many times they've teased their children about crushing on each other. Of course, it's a small joke but both of the had to admit that they could grow up to be a cute couple.

"Happy birthday, kiddo," Emily hugged Lucy. "You're getting so big. I was there at the hospital when you were born. You were just this iddy, biddy thing."

"Aunt Emily," Lucy whined when she began pinching her cheeks. "You told me the same story on my last birthday."

"And I will continue to tell you that story when you're thirty," she joked.

Emily let her go and Lucy walked to hug the next person waiting. For the first hours of Lucy's party, everybody played outside on the beach. The weather's nice and it's mostly sunny with a few clouds sailing in the sky. It's a little chilly out though but nobody seems to mind. The kids put on jackets and played tag down at the beach. The parents sat on chairs and watched them. Spencer couldn't stop smiling at the way Lucy lit up while running her through the sand with her friend. She knows this isn't the kind of party she wanted for her fifth birthday but this is the best they could do regarding their situation.

After the kids played outside for a couple hours, they went back in to play a boardgame. Hanna, Matthew, Lucy, and Aria played a game of Candyland. Emily and Alison played go fish with Layla. Ezra and Caleb faced off in a pretty heated game of battleship. Half way through the game, the two got in an argument about if Ezra is cheating or not. Before it got too far, Hanna mad the boys stop and sent them to timeout… Which was to sit quietly in their separate rooms for ten minutes. Toby left everyone in the family room to find Spencer seated at the kitchen table staring blankly out the window. He nudged her as he sat in the chair to her right.

"Parties out there," he said.

"I know," she tried to smile. "I was just doing some thinking."

"About?"

She sighed, resting her hands on the table, "this isn't supposed to be how Lucy's fifth birthday should be. We were all supposed to rent out a place at her favorite park for the day. Invite more of her friends from her school and have a picnic underneath that one tree near the sandbox. That's her favorite place to be. Instead, we're here at this beach house playing tag outside in forty degree weather and playing board games. This wasn't how it was supposed to be! We're here because of me. My friends had to drop everything to be here with us and it's not fair! It's just not!"

Before she let herself cry, Spencer buried her face into her hands. Her shoulders sagged down and her body began to quiver.

"Hey," Toby rubbed his hand over her shoulder. "This isn't your fault. Being here is not so bad. I mean Lucy is having the time of her life here right now. Sure she doesn't understand why she's here but she knows it's to keep her safe. You're her mother you're not letting her down."

"I know," Spencer removed her hands. "It's just… I was counting on being home for her fifth birthday. I thought all of this would be over it's not. We're all acting like this is a vacation but it's a game of hide and seek."

"At least we're all here and safe. That's what's important. I know this isn't what you had in mind but we're making the best out of it. Everyone is. Is that wrong?"

"I guess not but why haven't the police caught him by now? Colin must be good at hiding if they haven't found him yet."

"I don't know how they're doing," Toby admitted. "They're not really supposed to contact us until they got him locked for good. I'm sure they're doing everything they can."

"Yeah, you're right," she tried her best to smile. "I mean, the Rosewood P.D is missing their finest member."

"I'm doing the most important job right now," he said, rubbing his thumb against her cheek. "That's to protect my family."

"Mommy mommy!" Lucy ran into the kitchen. "I just won Candyland!"

Spencer cleaned away her tears and smiled, "that's great, honey!"

"Mommy come play scrabble with me."

"Oh, I don't know if we should play. That games a little tricky."

"Don't worry mom, I'll take it easy on you."

She laughed, "okay, sure let's play."

"Toby you play too," Lucy ordered.

"Okay, but don't cry when I win."

Lucy put her hands on her hips, "daddy, I am the scrabble Queen. You won't beat me."

Lucy ran back in the living room and Spencer laughed. Her daughter can be quite sassy at times. Spencer got up from the table but Toby stopped her before she left the room.

"See," he gestured to Lucy who was beaming brightly in the other room. "Lucy's happy no matter where she is on her birthday. She's making the most of it and is as happy as ever."

"She does look kinda happy."

"You know what I think would make her even happier?" He whispered in her ear. "Watching me beat her mother at scrabble."

"Oh," she laughed, hitting his chest. "We'll see about that. Come on."

Spencer, Toby, and Lucy played a game of scrabble while lunch was being made in the kitchen. The turn out; Lucy got 55 points and Spencer and Toby tied with 48 points. Of course, they could've done a lot better but since it's Lucy's birthday and she's only five, they let her win.

…

"Happy birthday to you Happy birthday day to you Happy birthday dear Lucy! Happy birthday to you!"

The group all sang happy birthday while Emily carried out the chocolate pink frosted cake. She slid the plate in front of Lucy who couldn't stop smiling. The cake had five blue and red candles lit on top of the cake.

"Okay, honey," Spencer smiled while holding her camera. "Make a wish then blow out the candles.

Lucy thought for a good moment then blew out all of the candles with one big breath. Everybody clapped and cheered for Lucy. Aria flipped the lights back on and Toby offered to help dish out cake for people. Hanna brought two flavors of ice cream out from the freeze to have with the cake. Everybody had an option of having Vanilla Fudge Swirl ice cream or Chocolate Oreo Cookie Dough ice cream.

"Now that dinner and cake is over, can I open my presents now?" Lucy asked.

"Sure," Spencer said.

Lucy got up from her place at the table and walked over to the table of presents Aria had put together. The first gift was wrapped with Frozen wrapping paper and was from Emily and Alison. They got her a deck of Uno Cards, an Art coloring book, and her favorite candy which are gummy worms.

"Thank you, Aunt Emily and Alison," Lucy gave each of them a hug.

"You're welcome," they both said.

She moved on to the next present that's from Hanna and Caleb. They got her a bunch of hair ties, hair clips, and wrist bracelets. Well, that's what Hanna got for Lucy. However, it was Caleb's idea to get the hair ties. Lucy then opened a present from Aria, Ezra, and Layla. They got her a purple bed set for her new room in the house they're moving into. Toby's first attempt at buying a present for his daughter's birthday was a total success. He made her a little scrabble necklace with her first initial on it and he got her a stuffed dalmatian dog. Lucy loved her gifts from him so much that she hugged him until his face nearly turned blue.

"What do you say to everyone for your wonderful presents?" Spencer said.

"Thank you all," Lucy said. "Mommy, where's your present?"

"Hold on a second."

Spencer walked over to the table to pick up a party bag that's sitting on the table. Just as Lucy began to open her present, Toby's work phone rang. He excused himself from the room to go answer it. Lucy sat on the floor and pulled out the blue and white clothing from the bag. When Lucy unfolded it, she smiled at the picture of Elsa on the front. Spencer got her Elsa pajamas.

"Thank you so much, mommy!" Lucy squeezed her in a hug. "I love you!"

"I love you too, honey bun."

Just then, Toby came back from the back bedroom when a stiff smile on his face. Everyone in the room shifted their gaze to him. Spencer let her arms fall from Lucy and slowly rose to her feet. She looked at Toby.

"Toby?" She walked towards him. "What is it?"

"They got him," he said.

Everybody shared a look then looked back at him. Toby's smile grew wider.

"They got him."

Spencer stepped closer, "they really got him?"

He nodded and a huge grin formed on both of their faces. Spencer let out of shriek of happiness and buried herself in his arms. They held each other for a long time both on the verge of tears. Everyone else in the room let out a sigh of relief.

"They finally caught him," Spencer whispered as Toby rocked her back and forth.

"Yeah, yeah they did. It's finally over Spencer," he rubbed her hair. "We can go home."

"Home," that almost made her cry tears of joy. "Home."

"Mommy," Lucy tugged on their pant legs. "What's wrong?"

Spencer pulled away from Toby and smiled, wiping away her happy tears, "nothing's wrong, baby. Toby just got news that they caught the bad guy and we can finally go home."

"We can go home?" She asked.

They both nodded.

"Does that mean I finally get to sleep in my own room?"

Spencer laughed, "yes."

"Yay!" Lucy clapped. "When do we go?"

"Well," Toby looked at everyone. "We could finish up the weekend here then catch a flight out around this coming Monday?"

"Sounds great," Aria said.

Everyone else agreed. The whole room broke out into a fit of happy tears, hugging each other. Even though they kind of enjoyed being here together, they're ready to get back into their own homes. Toby pulled Spencer and Lucy into a hug ready to finally move into their house and start acting like a real family. It's finally all over or is it?

* * *

 **Finally! I gave you guys another chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and leave a review if you did. Again, I'm sorry for the long waiting updates but it's better than me stopping this story all together. Which, is what I almost did a few times. But, I hate when people leave stories unfinished without saying a word. Either finish your stories or don't start them at all if you know you won't have time. In my case, I do have time, I just get lazy sometimes. At least I'm still going with it. If I ever do decide to stop writing any story for any reason, I'd let you guys know. I promise I would never just leave you guys hanging. Okay, that's all for now until next chapter. Bye Xx**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey! I'm back with another chapter. I bet you people thought I fell off the face of the earth. Nope, I'm still here! Enjoy this fluffy chapter. When I say fluff, I mean fluff.**

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Spencer has been on many flights in her life. She's flown from Pennsylvania to Florida. She's gone from Pennsylvania to Colorado. She's flown to Washington. She's flown twice to California. There have been several times she'd have to fly to Europe when she went to school overseas. So, flying has never been a big issue for her. She's gotten used to it. Toby, however, is not one for flying. He's been on two airplanes in his life growing up (not counting having to fly to the safe house). He tries to avoid flying if possible.

"Okay, sweetie," Spencer led the way through the airport to the correct gate. "Lucy, you have everything with you, right? You didn't leave anything back at the beach house."

"Yes," Lucy nodded.

"Are you double sure you have everything?"

"Yes, mommy."

"Okay, good."

"It's really important that you make sure you have all you need before getting on a flight," Toby said.

"I know, daddy," Lucy said.

"So, you have all your clothes, those pink shoes you like, and all of your toys and stuffed animals."

"Toby, Toby," Spencer laughed and touched his arm. "It's all good. I packed Lucy's stuff together and I didn't miss anything."

"Oh," he sighed in relief. "Good. Did I remember everything?"

She smiled, "I double checked your suitcase too. You're good."

"Alright," he pointed to the left. "We should catch our flight."

"Sure, but Toby," Spencer pointed to the right. "You're headed towards New York, we're going to Philly."

"Oh," sheepishly. "Mind if I go with you to Philly?"

Again, she smiled and gestured for Lucy to hold his hand, "come on, Lucy. I think Toby needs to be guided around more than you do."

They finally caught up with the others who are all waiting for their flight to start boarding. Matthew is seated on Caleb's lap and could barely manage to keep his eyes open. Layla's awake and Aria's trying to get her to stop crying.

"What time does the plane start boarding again?" Toby asked while nervously checking his watch.

"At 10:15," Spencer answered.

"There's ten minutes. I should go to the bathroom before boarding."

"Okay, hurry back. I don't want to fly off without you."

Spencer and Lucy sat down next to Emily who was looking for something in her purse. Everyone seemed excited to finally be returning home after being away for some time. Toby returned from the bathroom and joined the rest of the group for waiting. At 10:17, their flight to Philly was called for boarding. Everyone moved along and boarded the plane making sure nobody got left behind. All the children and adults are now seated safely inside the plane ready for taking off. Aria, Ezra, and Layla are seated in the row in front of Spencer, Toby, and Lucy. Hanna, Caleb, and Matthew are seated across from Aria. Emily and Alison are seated in the row in front of Hanna.

"This is your captain speaking. Please fashion your seat belts we are about a minute away from taking off so seatbelts on, relax, and enjoy the flight."

A flight attendant stood up and demonstrated how to put on the seat belts and other important information you'd need to know when on a flight. Spencer's been on many flights so she already knows pretty well how to do things. As soon as the flight attendant sat back down, the pilot spoke up again and announced ready for taking off. Toby fidgeted around in his seat. The plane wasn't even moving yet but he could already feel a tight feeling in his stomach. His palms got sweaty and he couldn't keep still. Spencer reached for his hand and laced their fingertips together to help calm his nerves.

"It's only three hours," she whispered.

"Yeah, I know," he said quietly. "I'm just a nervous flyer."

"Toby it's going to be fine I promise."

"I know. I've only been on a twice in my life. The first time was with my eighth grade group. I grew up in Maine and our class trip was to Washington D.C. So, the whole eighth-grade class had to fly from Maine to West Virginia. My dad was going to come with me but he had to work so I had to fly alone. I was nervous about flying but I convinced myself that I could do it. The night before the trip, my dad was watching videos of plane crashes."

"Oh, no."

"That got me nervous. I couldn't sleep the night before I was so nervous. The next day, my whole class boarded a plane and it stormed the entire time. The flight was very rough and I sat next to this group of boys that kept saying the plane was going to crash. It was not fun."

"Oh, baby," Spencer leaned her head on his shoulder and rubbed his chest. "I'm sorry. This flight is going to go along smoothly. Maybe you should try sleeping and before you know it, the flight will be over and we'll be back on the ground again."

"I can't sleep when I'm nervous."

"Toby why so nervous?" Lucy asked.

He shrugged, smiling, "flying makes me nervous."

"Thunderstorms make me nervous," Lucy said. "Whenever I get nervous, mommy calms me down by telling me a story."

"A story? Really? What kinds of stories does she tell?"

"She tells a lot!" Lucy exclaimed. "My favorite story mommy tells is the one where the Queen falls in love with the noble knight."

Toby smiled at Lucy," the Queen that falls in love with a knight? How does that go?"

"Well," Lucy said. "The beautiful Queen and her princess' daughter were put in danger. Then this brave very handsome knight ran into save them. Mommy tells the story a whole lot better."

Toby looked at Spencer and smirked, "how does the story go? I want to hear the story of the very brave handsome knight saving the Queen and her princess daughter."

"Tell Toby the story mommy," Lucy said. "He won't be nervous."

"Yeah, Spencer," Toby teased. "Tell Toby the story."

"Okay," she sighed. "Once upon a time, a long time ago a young Queen and her daughter who was a princess had some things to do around the kingdom of Rosewood. The Queen made a stop at the royal bank and while they were there, some bad guys with swords ran in causing terror. Suddenly just as all hope seemed to be a lost, a handsome brave knight came into the royal bank sword in hand. 'Let the hostages go!' he roared with such brave force. Then, one of the bad guys grabbed the Queen and pulled her away from her daughter. A sword was held to the Queen's throat and she feared for hers and her daughter's life."

"The brave knight held his ground and demanded they let the Queen go. The bad man refused and kept holding the Queen in danger. Out of bravery, the knight offered up his own life in exchange for the release of the Queen. The knight's bold move was enough to save the Queen, the princess, and all the hostages in the room. And then…"

Lucy cut off her mother's sentence and decided to finish the story, "and then the knight and the beautiful Queen fell in love. The little princess was happy she had a family and they all lived happily ever after!"

Toby smiled, "that is the best story I've ever heard."

"Mommy tells me that story all the time and it's my favorite," Lucy said. "Hey! I just realized mommy's story is similar to how we met Toby."

"Well, I can honestly say that it's my favorite story."

"Mine too," Spencer said, looking at Toby. He smiled back at her.

"Mine three," Lucy said then went on playing with her stuffed animal.

Spencer and Toby shared a look and chuckled. They were both right. Spencer's story did calm Toby down. He was too busy remembering the story of how he met these two important people in his life that all nervousness about being up in the air went away.

After many tearful goodbyes with their friends, Spencer, Toby, and Lucy went home. Their real new home. Lucy's eyes grew wide when they pulled up into the driveway of their house. She's never seen a big place like this. It's not a gigantic house but it's bigger than any of the apartments they've lived in the past. It's bigger than that small house they lived in with Toby for several months.

"Alright here we are," Spencer said.

Lucy stood outside the big stone step leading to the house. Toby and Spencer began to grab their bags from the trunk.

"This is our house?" Lucy asked.

Toby stepped up to unlock the door, "yes, it is."

"It's big!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Yeah, and you know what else?" Spencer said. "You finally get your own room again."

"Yay!" She cheered.

They stepped into the threshold and took a look around the open family. The house was quiet except for the sound of the fridge in the kitchen just a few feet away from them. Lucy walked across the family room to look out the window that looks out into the backyard.

"So what do you think of the house, Luc?" Spencer asked, kneeling down beside her. "Do you think we'll be happy here?"

She nodded, "of course, mommy. I'm already happy. I have a mommy who loves me and now a daddy who loves me, what more could I need?"

Spencer smiled and stroked her daughter's hair, "that's right, baby. You are lucky."

Toby joined them by the window and said, "it's our first night in our new home, what should our first dinner be?"

"Macaroni and cheese!" Lucy exclaimed.

Spencer and Toby laughed. Toby rubbed Lucy's head and said, "macaroni and cheese it is."

After dinner, they began to unpack some of their stuff. Anything that they don't get unloaded and put away tonight, they'll do tomorrow and the next day if needed. They started by unpacking most of their clothes as well as blankets and towels. By 8 that evening, it was time for Lucy to get ready for bed. Spencer gave her a quick bath then dressed her in her Elsa pajamas. After Lucy's bath, she was given fifteen minutes to play since she hadn't gotten the chance to all day. Before bedtime, the three of them played a game of Candy Land that Toby won and Lucy came in second.

"Can we play again?" Lucy asked.

"Sorry, sweetie," Toby said. "It's past 9 so it's bedtime."

"But I'm not sleepy."

"Lucy," Spencer said. "You heard your father. Off to bed and we can play more tomorrow."

"Okay." Lucy stood up and hugged both of her parents before going to her room. After Spencer finished picking up the game they played, she and Toby went to say a proper goodnight to Lucy.

"You've got your blanket, your favorite stuffed animals, your pillow and your nightlight is on over in the corner," Spencer was seated by Lucy's bedside tucking her into bed.

"Is there anything else you need before bed?"

"A cup of water," Lucy said.

"Yeah, daddy's getting that for you."

Just then, Toby walked in with Lucy's fairy cup. Lucy reached out for the cup and Toby carefully passed it over to her. The little girl held the cup with both of her hands and took a big long gulp of her water. She drank more than half of her water then set her cup on her nightstand. Lucy laid back down in her bed and Spencer pulled the covers back up around her small frame.

"Are we good now?" She asked. Lucy nodded.

"Okay," Spencer kissed her daughter's forehead. "Goodnight, Lucy."

"Night, mommy."

"Goodnight, Lucy goose," Toby also kissed her goodnight.

Lucy smiled and said, "night, daddy."

Spencer and Toby quietly backed out of Lucy's room and shut the door behind them. Spencer could tell that Lucy would be fast to sleep in no time because her eyes were droopy. Toby sighed and leaned back against the wall opposite to Lucy's door. He looked at Spencer and said

"Now what?"

"Well," Spencer smirked and grabbed hold of the collar of his shirt, tugging him close. "Our daughter is asleep, it's been a long last few months, it's our first night… Well, second night in our new home." Toby chuckled and Spencer continued talking.

"I don't know about you but I could really use a hot _steamy_ shower."

Toby groaned as she pressed her body against his, "that sounds wonderful."

Spencer bites her lip and takes Toby's hand leading him down the hall to their bedroom. They giggled as they tiptoed into their bedroom bathroom. Most of their clothes were already torn off and thrown on the floor somewhere. Right now all they're left in is their underwear. Spencer reaches for the faucet in the shower and turns it on until the water ran steamy hot. She turns to face Toby who's grinning at her from ear to ear. He lifts his hands up and reaches up behind her to undo her hair tie. Brown, wavy locks fall down around her shoulders and her smile is as bright as the sun. Her smile grows as she grabs the sides of his face and pulls his head down closer to her so she can reach his lips. Toby smiled against her lips as his hands worked on taking off her bra. The two stepped into the shower where things got very steamy.

Their hot shower may have come to an end but things are now heating up in the bedroom. They tried to step out of the shower to dry off and dress. Spencer took a smaller towel and started to run it through her hair. As she was doing so, she turned to look at the mirror that's just started to clear up from all that steam. Through the blurs in the mirror, she could see Toby's toned body in the reflection. There was something about seeing him bare with water droplets rolling down his chest that got Spencer all worked up again. Spencer dropped the towel she was using to dry her hair and spun back around. Toby barely got a smile out before her lips came crashing onto his. He instantly gripped her by the waist and pulled her body close to him. The towel that was once around Toby's waist somehow ended up on the bathroom floor. Spencer giggled softly against Toby's lips as he scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom.

The sheets were getting wet from their hair and bodies rolling around in the bed but they didn't care. It was like the first night they ever slept together right here in this bed only better. There was something about having sex as a married couple that made it better. In more ways than one, they're both each other. Every time Toby kissed Spencer's neck, it felt like her whole body was on fire. When he kissed her lips, she felt like a fireworks display was going off inside her chest. Everything this man did got her all worked up in the best ways. She does the same thing to him. She kisses his neck and it's like he died and went to heaven. When her lips are on his, everything else in the world stops and it feels like it's just them.

It started raining sometime during their lovemaking. They stopped just right after 1 AM and just laid there between the sheets listening to the rain tapping against the window. Toby's arm is locked so securely around Spencer she felt as if nothing else could touch her. His lips are pressed against her temple and her head is resting on his chest with her right arm sprung crossed it.

"I love you so much," Toby whispered.

"I love you too."

She kissed a spot on his chest then a place on his neck, his cheek, the side of his lips and then finally, she planted a big open mouth kiss on his lips. Toby moved his arm lower down her waist and brought his other arm to wrap around her upper back. Slowly, his one hand moved to her hair. He kissed her lips once, twice, three, four times before finally working the nerve to peel away. When he pulled back after the fourth one, she reached out to try to kiss him again. He allowed his lips to ghost over hers for a second and chuckled.

"If you keep this up, I'm not going to be able to resist another round."

She kissed him briefly and smiled, "yeah, that's kind of my plan."

"Spence," he pecked her lips. "It's almost 2 and we really need to get some sleep. We both know we have a daughter who likes to wake us up at the early hours of the morning."

"Come on," she whined against his lips. "Aside from our wedding night, we haven't been able to have much sex. Which is a total bummer because our sex is amazing."

"Spencer, Lucy starts back at school in the next few weeks. We'll have plenty of opportunities to do it then. Plus, we still have a honeymoon to plan out-"

"Fine," she sighed. She moved closer to him and wrapped one of her legs over both of his, "but promise me this, Mr. Cavanaugh, when we go on our honeymoon, every single freaking second of our time better be spent with just you and me in bed."

He looked at her and smiled, "whatever you want, Ms. Cavanaugh."

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the fluff I put into it. I'll be back soonish with a new chapter. Just make sure you comment a review and okay, bye, bye.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Oh, hello there. I'm back with another chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Read and review!**

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Sunday morning started nice and blissful. Toby is at the stove making Olaf-shaped pancakes while Spencer cuts up fruit and prepares coffee and juice. Lucy runs out from her room still wearing her pajamas with a colored picture in her hand.

"Daddy look at the picture I colored," Lucy holds it up.

He glances away from the stove to look at the picture. It's a colored picture of three tigers. One's the papa, ones the mama, and ones a cube. Toby smiles and takes the drawing from her.

"This is great, Luce. I love tigers."

"Me too. I wish that i could see a real tiger."

"What? You mean you've never seen a real tiger before?" Toby asked.

Lucy shook her head, "no."

"Not even at the Zoo?"

"I've never been to the zoo. Before you came along, mommy used to always be afraid to go certain places and end up running into that bad guy."

"Well," Toby removed the pancakes from the stove. "That bad guy can't bother us anymore, what do you say we find a zoo near by and go this afternoon?"

Lucy's face lit up like a light bulb, "that would be great!" She turns towards her mother who's now at the kitchen table. "Can we go, mommy? Please, please please!"

"Well," Spencer twisted her bottom lip while she thought about it. "I don't know. Is your room clean?"

"Yes."

"Did you make your bed?"

"Yes."

"Are all your toys picked up out of the living room?"

Lucy smiled innocently, "Most of them."

Spencer gave her daughter a look before smiling and giving in, "okay we can go to the zoo today. First, eat your breakfast."

"Yay!" Lucy clapped her hands together before hugging her mom tightly. "Thank you, mommy!"

Toby brought the pancakes over to the table on a large plate. Lucy sat at the table and ate her breakfast with the family. After finishing, she quickly ran to her room to get dressed. Lately, Lucy has been working on dressing herself instead of having her parents do it. There have been times where she's needed a hand zipping a coat or buttoning a shirt but other than that, she manages pretty well. Toby did the dishes while Spencer showered and got dressed.

Later that morning, Spencer packed a picnic basket to have for lunch later. The three of them loaded up in their car and drove to the nearest Zoo. Lucy was so excited to go to the zoo. She's never been to one and has always wanted to go. She's always been a big fan of animals. Her mother would take her to the library a lot and they often had tons of children's books about animals. Of course, Lucy was too young to read at the time but she was able to take in what her mother read. They arrived at the Zoo at 11 and Toby paid the admission fee. When they entered the park, a nice young woman who worked at the Zoo came up to offer the family a map to the zoo.

"Okay," Spencer looked at her daughter. "What do you want to see first?"

"Birds then Zebras and the tigers!"

"Alright, you've got the map. Lead the way."

They headed towards the bird exhibit first. There they learned about all kinds of different birds. So far, Lucy's favorite birds have been the barn Owl, American robin, red-winged blackbirds, blue jays, and hummingbirds. At the zoo, there's a giant bird cage that visitors can walk through to get a closer look at all the birds. Lucy got a little scared when one of the birds flew down right over her head but Spencer assured her she'd be fine. They got through the birdcage then went to the pond. Down by the pond, there's a bunch of ducks, geese and a few swan hanging around. Toby gave Lucy a quarter so she could get bird seeds to feed the ducks.

"Come here, Lucy," Toby guided her closer to the ducks with her cup full of seeds. Lucy got scared when two ducks began to walk towards her.

"It's okay," Toby said while kneeling down with her. "They just want the food in your cup."

"What if they attack me?"

"They won't just watch me."

Toby poured a few of the bird seeds out on the palm of his hand and carefully held his hand out for the ducks. Lucy watched as one duck waddled up to Toby and peacefully ate the seeds out of his hand. Lucy was amazed at how well Toby is with animals.

"I want to try!" Lucy exclaimed.

Toby helped Lucy pour seeds onto her hand and hold it out for the ducks. Two ducks came up to Lucy and started eating out of her hand. Lucy giggled claiming that it tickled. While they were feeding the ducks, Spencer got the camera out and snapped a couple pictures of them. She also got a couple pictures of the beautiful white swans swimming in the water.

"Look mommy!" Lucy pointed at the swans. "Those two swans are hugging. They look like a heart."

"Yeah," Spencer nodded. "You know swans symbolize love."

"I thought turtle doves meant love."

Again, Spencer nodded, "they do but swan have a special kind of bond. Two swans often stay together for life and start a family of their own. Some people say that swans have soulmates."

"They do!" Lucy sounded amazed. "Wow. Hey, that just like you and Toby. is Toby your swan mate?"

Spencer laughed and looked up at Toby, "yes, honey. I like to think he is."

"Me too," Toby said.

"Come on," Spencer reached for Lucy's hand. "Let's go find those tigers you keep talking about."

"Toby's favorite animal!" Lucy exclaimed.

They spent a lot of time looking at the tigers. Lucy had Toby read every piece of information the Zoo had on the tigers. For some reason, Lucy just finds tigers so fascinating. After spending a lot of time with the tigers, they went to check out Spencer's favorite animal; the monkey's. Lucy laughed while they watched all the little monkeys climbing around on everything. Toby took some pictures of Spencer and Lucy pointing at a monkey that's sitting up in a tree. After seeing the monkey's, they found a bench table in the zoo to sit down for lunch. They found a table underneath a tree so they wouldn't be burning in the sun. For lunch, Spencer made sandwiches, cut up vegetables and fruit, animal crackers, and she also packed pudding cups for everyone.

"Mommy I'm tired," Lucy whined.

It's now after 3 and they've been walking around the zoo for awhile. After lunch, they went to the reptile house and the butterfly kingdom. Then, they went to a workshop where they got to make their own bracelets and necklaces out of African beads. After that, they went to the petting zoo where Lucy got to pet goats, hold baby chicks and ride a pony. Now, they're walking back towards the Zoo's entrance. All that walking around today made them all tired. Especially Lucy.

"We're all tired, hun," Spencer said. "But we're going home now. Then, we can all take a nap."

"My legs hurt, mommy."

"Come here," Toby reached down to pick Lucy up and carried her to the car.

Lucy fell asleep during the car ride home. Toby got her out of her car seat and carried her to her bed so she could sleep better. After placing Lucy safely in her bed, Toby walked out to the family room to find Spencer sitting on the couch with her bare feet kicked up on the coffee table. Toby stood there for a minute just smiling at her. She finally felt his gaze on her, looked up and smiled. Toby walked over and sat down on the space next to her. He put one hand on her back and laid the other one on her thigh. His fingers slowly ran up and down along her skin.

"Tired?" He asked.

She smiled, "I'm exhausted." She wrapped her arms around his neck and curved her body against his frame. "But it was a good day."

"It was a very good day."

She kissed the side of his mouth, leaned her head against his and closed her eyes for a long moment. As they sat there, Spencer slowly began to feel herself drift off to sleep. Toby very carefully wrapped his arm around her and laid her back on the couch so she was resting comfortably. He laid down with her and smiled at the way Spencer curled up against his chest. Both of them fell asleep in no time.

* * *

Spencer had no idea how much time had past. When she opened her eyes, she looked around the family room and noticed how dark it was. It was still a little light outside but the sun was most of the way down. When time finally registered with her, Spencer shot up on the house panicking over what time it is. It's almost 7 and she hasn't even started dinner yet. She got up and ran into the kitchen ready to make something quick. Toby was standing in the kitchen wearing a dark blue apron and had a white dish towel over his shoulder. He was standing at the counter cutting up peppers and onions. There's a pot simmering on the stove behind him and something is baking in the oven.

"Hey," Toby smiled as soon as he noticed her. "You're awake."

"Yeah," she smiled back, walking over to join him at the counter. "You could've woken me up."

"I didn't want to disturb you. Besides, it's been awhile since I've cooked for you."

Toby cut the rest of the peppers and onions then turned around to open up the oven door. He carefully used the unsharpened side of the knife and used it to add the vegetables to the chicken baking in the oven.

"Something smells really good," she said.

"That's garlic chicken in the oven and green beans cooking on the stove," Toby removed the lid to show her.

"Garlic chicken?" Spencer smiled and hugged him from behind. "You better use mouthwash after dinner if you plan on kissing me tonight."

He turned his head to the side so he could peck her on the lips. She giggled and kissed him once more before walking over to the sink to wash her hands.

"How long until dinner?"

"Um I'd say another five minutes."

"I better wake Lucy from her nap. We're going to have a tough time getting her to bed on time after her three hour nap."

"Lucy's awake," Toby said. "She got up an hour ago to use the bathroom then sat at the kitchen table to color for a little bit."

"She's not coloring at the table now. Where is she?"

"Maybe in her room playing."

Spencer left the kitchen to go check on Lucy. She was right where Toby figured she'd be. Lucy's there sitting on the floor in her room playing with the stuffed tiger she got at the zoo today. Spencer smiled when she heard Lucy making little roar sounds.

"Hey, honey," Spencer spoke softly.

Lucy turned and smiled, "hi mommy! Look, I named my tiger Spoby. That's yours and daddy's names together."

Spencer laughed, "that's very creative. It's almost time for dinner so you need to come wash your hands, okay."

Lucy nodded and set her tiger down on her bed. She got up and followed her mom out to the kitchen. There, Toby was just getting the chicken out of the oven. Spencer helped Lucy put soap in her hands and watched her wash her hands. Toby served the chicken on plates and they all sat down for a nice dinner.

"Mommy," Lucy poked at the onion on her plate. "I don't like onions."

"You don't have to eat the onions, honey," Spencer said. "But you do have to eat the chicken and green beans."

Lucy poked around with her chicken before actually eating it. She ate most of her green beans and left a couple on her plate. By the time they finished dinner, it was after 8.

"Mommy, may I get up?"

Spencer looked inside her cup, "finish your milk first."

Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes which Spencer did not like. She instructed Lucy to not roll her eyes at the dinner table. Lucy apologized then finished the milk in her cup. Spencer then allowed Lucy to get up from the table. That gave Spencer and Toby sometime to talk alone at the table.

"So, what did you think of the chicken?" He asked.

"It was very good. Lucy even ate it with no complaints so that's a good sign."

He smiled, "that's good to hear. I start back at work tomorrow. Well, my new job."

She smiled and nodded, "that's exciting. I don't start at work until next week which is perfect because that's around the time Lucy starts kindergarten. The only problem there is I work from 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. Lucy get's out of kindergarten at 2:30 so we'd have to figure out who'd be able to pick her up after school."

"That will be no problem. My work day starts at 6:30 and I get off at 2. I'd be able to pick Lucy up after school."

"Oh perfect! That works out great. I'm sure Lucy would be thrilled to have you get her everyday. I just hate that you have to get up so early."

He shrugged, "it's part of my job. Anyway," he leaned into kiss her but Spencer playfully pulled away.

"I don't think so, babe. Brush teeth first, then, kiss."

He hung his head down and sighed, "you are a stubborn woman."

After a very peaceful night of sleep, Toby got up at 5:20 in the morning to get ready for work. Before getting out of bed, he leaned over and kissed his wife. He smiled when he noticed Spencer smile and wrap more of the sheet around her body. He really hates this part of the day. The part where he has to move himself from the warmth of his bed and his wife. But, he knows he has to if he wants to keep his job. He took a quick shower then poured himself a bowl of Fruit Loops for breakfast. Toby was out the door and in his car on the way to work by 6:05. The drive to work takes about 10-15 minutes. At around noon, he went on his lunch break and used it to call Spencer. She didn't answer until the third ring.

"Hey," she answered.

Toby could hear Spencer smiling through the phone and Lucy giggling in the background. The sound of that made Toby smile as well.

"Hey, what are my two favorite ladies up to?"

"Oh, nothing. Lucy and I were just playing a little game of hide and go seek."

"Hide and go seek wow. It sounds like the two of you are having a very eventful afternoon."

"Oh, we are. I don't mean to brag but i'm pretty much a known champion when it comes to playing hide and seek. It was the only game my sister and i ever played together that i always won."

"Really huh," Toby raised his eyebrow in amusement. "You're a known hide and seek champion?"

"Yes, i am."

"So, if i happened to look up who the hide and seek champion is of this generation, i'd find your name? That's good to know," he teased. "I feel so honored to be married to the hide and seek champion."

"Ha, ha," Spencer mocked a laugh. "Laugh while you can but who's going to be laughing when you can't find me when you get home from work?"

Toby sniffed the air, "do I smell a challenge, Ms. Cavanaugh?"

She smiled, "i believe you do, Mr. Cavanaugh."

They laughed.

"I got go. My breaks almost over," he said.

"Okay. I'll talk to you soon. I love you."

He smiled, "i love you too. Bye."

* * *

Toby got off of work at 2, stopped by the store to pick up flowers for the house then continued his drive home. When he pulled up in the driveway, he noticed Lucy's soccer ball lying out on the front lawn. He got out of his car and picked it up to put in the garage. The inside of the house was quiet and for some reason the place felt empty. Spencer's car is parked in the garage so they haven't gone anyway. They're here but Toby's not seeing them around anywhere. Toby sets the flowers he got on the kitchen counter then head towards the hallway. He pokes his head inside Lucy's room and there was no sign of her or Spencer. Are they still playing hide and seek? Toby left Lucy's room to check their bedroom. Spencer wasn't there either. She's not in the bathroom and neither is Lucy. He looked out the bedroom window out into the backyard and the whole yard was empty. No Spencer. No Lucy. Spencer's car is in the garage but neither one of them seemed to be here.

"Spencer," Toby called out. No reply.

"Spencer," he called shouted down the hallway. Again, no reply.

"Lucy?" He checked the extra bedroom and it was empty. "You guys here?"

Now, Toby was getting worried. Neither Spencer or Lucy seemed to be here. The fact that the car's still here but not Spencer or Lucy is really scaring him. Toby walked quickly down the hallway and back to the family room. The whole house appears to be empty. He scrambled around for his phone in his pocket to call Spencer. If she's really still here, her phone would ring. He called Spencer's phone and listened for it to ring. In a second, the sound of Spencer's ringtone could be heard. He followed the sound of Spencer's phone and it sounded like it was coming from the bathroom down the hall. Toby kept calling her cell until it lead him to where she was. He got to the bathroom and started to hear Spencer's phone in the towel closet. Are they hiding in the towel closet?

Toby took a deep breath before opening the closet door. The door opened and at first, the only thing he saw was a row of towels. Then, he heard someone whimpering. Toby looked down and nearly yelled when he saw Lucy curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor crying. She wasn't tied up or anything but she looked frightened.

"Lucy," Toby kneeled down to comfort her. "Hey."

Lucy looked up with her little watery brown eyes, "daddy!"

She leaped forward to hug him and Toby caught her in his arms. He hugged and rocked her back and forth until she was calm enough to try speaking.

"Lucy, where's mommy?" He only pulled back enough to let her speak.

Lucy sniffled, "I-I don't know where they took mommy."

"They?" Toby panicked. "Who is they? Sweetie, what happened?"

"Two men dressed in black came in with guns. Just like the one guys who came in the bank. Mommy offered them money or anything they wanted just not to hurt me. One of the guys said they didn't want money they wanted her."

"What?"

"They took mommy."

Toby's heart sank, "what do you mean they took her?"

"They pointed a gun at her and said they'd shoot her if she didn't go with them. They almost made me go too but mommy told them they didn't need me. Mommy told me to go play hide and seek so i hid here. Then, they took mommy."

* * *

 **(Hides from angry fans) Yeah, i bet some of you thought the drama was over. Sorry. Spencer is missing but at least Toby has Lucy. What do you think happened to Spencer? You'll find out in the next couple chapters to come. Stay tuned!**

 **Thanks for reading. Please leave a review!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Another chapter so quickly? What!? I'm out of school right now so I'm going to try to update more often. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

"I got to go. My breaks almost over," Toby said.

"Okay," Spencer smiled. "I'll talk to you soon. I love you."

"I love you too."

Spencer waited to hear Toby hang up before hanging up herself. She smiled to herself then stuffed her phone back in her pocket. She looks at the clock and see's it's almost 12:30. Lucy came running out into the family room carrying her stuffed tiger.

"Was that daddy?" She asked.

"Yes, it was."

"When's he coming home?"

"Not for a few more hours, hun. He just wanted to check in and send his love."

"Whens lunch?"

"Right now. What would you like?"

"Grilled cheese."

"Alright," Spencer nodded. "Let's go into the kitchen."

After lunch, Lucy sat on the couch and watched _Toy Story 3_ while Spencer cleaned the house. She started with washing the dishes that were in the sink from lunch and put them in the dishwasher. Then, she dusted all the rooms. She was in the middle of vacuuming the hallway when they heard a car pull up alongside the house. Lucy jumped off the couch and turned the television off. She ran to her mother who was still vacuuming.

"Mommy I think daddy's home."

Spencer stopped the vacuum to check her watch. It was only 1:30. Toby shouldn't be home for at least another hour. There was a knock on the door that alarmed them both. Surely if it were Toby he wouldn't be knocking. He'd just use his key.

Lucy looked up, "who is it mommy?"

"I don't know."

Spencer unlocked then opened the front door. As soon as the door opened, two figures dressed in black wearing white faced masks forced their way in. One of them had a gun out and pointed right at Spencer. The other figure followed his mate through the entrance and shut the door behind them. The one holding the gun appeared smaller than his mate. Spencer could tell by the shapes of their bodies that both figures are males. Spencer and Lucy stood frozen in their spots. All the blood from Spencer's face drained and her hands were shaking.

"Who are you?" Spencer asked.

The figure holding the gun spoke, "don't speak."

"Please," Spencer said. "Don't hurt my daughter. I'll give you anything you want just don't lay a hand on my daughter."

"He only wants you."

"He?"

The other guy spoke, "leave quietly with us now or we kill you both."

"No!" Spencer said. "Okay. Just give me two seconds."

Spencer kneeled down to Lucy who was shaking and her eyes were watery. She took her phone out of her pocket and handed it to Lucy.

"I love you, Lucy," she whispered. "Hold my phone for me and go play hide and seek, alright? Daddy will find you. Go. No, time." She paused to kiss her daughter's head briefly. "Just go."

Tears streamed down Lucy's face and she nodded showing she'd obey her mother's orders. Lucy tucked the cell phone under her shirt and ran down the hallway. The guy with the gun tugged Spencer roughly by the arm and pulled her up on her feet.

"Let's go," they said.

Spencer felt herself being pushed out the door and smuggled into the back of a large black van. That was the last thing she could remember happening before everything went black.

* * *

It took a really long time for Lucy to calm down. She only just stopped crying thirty minutes ago. She was still shaking when Toby sat her down at the kitchen table and gave her a cup of juice. He had to give her something before her blood sugar dropped. Toby really can't blame the little girl from freaking out. She had to watch two men with guns come in, threaten her and take her mother right in front of her. Plus, that's Toby's wife those guys took. He's freaking out too and is not quite sure what to do. Should he call the police or wait for those men to call?

"Lucy, do you remember what time those guys showed up?" He asked.

Lucy sniffled, "I'm not good with telling time."

"That's okay. Just try to guess how long it felt. How long did you hide in that closet?"

"It felt longer than ten minutes."

"Okay. Do you think you could describe the men who took mommy?"

"I remembered they were two of the three men that came into the bank that one day. The short skinny one and the tall bony guy. I didn't see their faces just their body types."

"The same people who came into that bank were the ones who took mommy? Lucy, are you sure?"

Lucy shook her head, "no but they wore the same masks and clothes."

"Okay, that's really good sweetie. That's really helpful."

Toby got out his own phone and called one of his old buddy's that works at the Rosewood P.D and asked him to send him the copy of the case file for the bank robbery. His friend said it would take fifteen minutes to send out. After that, Toby was about to call the police to report Spencer's kidnapping when a text from a blocked ID popped up on Spencer's phone. The message said, **You want her back? Follow my instructions. You disobey my orders and she dies. My game, my rules.** Lucy's bottom lip began to quiver and the tears started back up again.

"I want mommy."

Toby held Lucy in a comforting embrace.

"I know, sweetie. I'm going to get her back. I promise."

Toby waited around for them to text back with instructions. While he sat waiting, Lucy went back to the couch to finish _Toy Story 3_. She needed something to calm her down a bit before she burns herself out. A half hour past and another message popped up on Spencer's phone. **Have you made up your mind?** A minute later, Spencer's phone rang and it was the same blocked ID. He answered and all he could hear was fuzz. Just when he was about to hang up, a deep monotone voice spoke.

" **You answered the phone that means you agree to my terms. No police. No tricks. No backing out. Do you understand?"**

"Yes, I understand."

" **I want to trade. I'll give you Spencer if you bring me someone else in return. Someone who has robbed me and owes me."**

Toby didn't feel right agreeing to give them another person to torture and kill but, what else could he do?

"Okay. Who do you want?"

" **Her father Peter Hastings. Bring Peter to me and I'll release Spencer. Don't call back until you've got Peter Hastings ready to hand over. Then and only then will I tell you where we'll meet for the trade. Do you understand?"**

Toby took a moment and swallowed hard, "yes, I understand."

" **If the police gets involved, I'll shot her. Any tricks and I'll kill her. This isn't a bluff."**

The phone clicked off ending the call. Toby stood there frozen in his place not sure what to do. Trading a life for a life is wrong but he can't just let Spencer die. She's his whole life. She's Lucy's mother. Lucy can't grow up without a mother. She'd never be the same again. On the other hand, Peter is Spencer's father. They didn't have the best relationship from what he's learned from Spencer but he's still her dad. Spencer's a good person and she wouldn't offer up someone in her family for her freedom. Toby could come up with a back plan but what if it goes wrong? What if they find out about his loophole and they kill Spencer? It be his fault. Lucy walked over to Toby and looked at him with worried eyes.

"What happens now, daddy?"

"I don't know," he set Lucy on his lap. "But whatever happens, I will get mom back. You trust me, right?"

Lucy nodded. Toby kissed his daughter's head and hugged her tight. In all honesty, Toby has no idea what he's going to do or how this is even going to work. For all he knows, those guys could be bluffing or they'll end up killing Spencer either way. If Toby gives Peter to them, they could kill both him and Spencer. Hell, they could kill Toby. Then Lucy would grow up without any parents. She'd end up being raised by Emily or Aria. No. He's not going to let that happen.

* * *

Toby answered to the knock at the door and Emily and Alison entered. He's not allowed to call the police, but they didn't say anything about calling in friends. He called the all of Spencer's close friends to tell them what's going on. Emily and Alison are the first ones to show up. Emily gave Toby a hug and the first thing Alison did was hold Lucy.

"I'm so sorry, Toby," Emily said. "I can't believe this is happening. I thought this was all over."

"Yeah, we all did. It turns out that they never did find Colin. Instead, he found us. Somebody from his own team posed as an officer to lure us all back. They got us to let our guards down."

Emily shook her head, "Hanna and the other's got the call but they can't make it out right now. They've all got work."

"I understand. I wasn't expecting all of you to come running. I'm surprised you guys made time to be here."

"It's my weekend off," Alison said.

"Yeah, and I'm pretty much able to get time off when I want. I usually work from home now anyway," Emily said.

"I'll make us some coffee and explain more on what's happening."

Alison stayed with Lucy in the living room and tried to keep her busy by coloring. Toby and Emily sat down in the kitchen with coffee to discuss what's going on and the best way to handle the situation.

"Maybe we should call the police. They'll know how to handle this."

"I can't call the police, Emily. If I do that they'll kill Spencer and i'm not taking that risk. Besides, I was a cop so i have some skills on what to do."

"Okay, use your cop mind then. Do you really think those guys would kill Spencer?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Spencer told me that this guy has killed people before so i'm not taking any chances. I say we give him what the wants a go from there."

"Toby we can't just hand over Spencer's dad like that. You know there's another way and a better way to do this."

"What if something goes wrong? For all i know, Spencer could already be dead."

"Toby don't go there," Emily patted his arm. "Don't go to that place. Did they give to a time limit?"

Toby swallowed the last of his coffee, "an hour before you guys showed, they said I had 72 hours."

"Three days," she said. "Anything could happen to Spencer in the next three days."

"I know," Toby clenched his jaw and fist. "I try not to think about what they'll do to her or what they've done to her already. That's also the only thing that I can think about."

"Maybe you should talk to Spencer's father before you act."

"I don't even know where he is anymore. Even if I did, I don't think he would willingly give his life up for his daughter. Not unless it was Melissa."

"What about Jason?" Emily asked.

"Jason?"

"Yeah. He's Peter's son and when you two were in college together, Jason spent years trying to find his parents."

"Yeah," Toby agreed. "Yeah, Jason would probably know where Peter is."

"Maybe you should tell Jason what's going on and get him to help you find their father. Jason may be your only hope to find Spencer."

"Hope," Toby snickered softly. "Spencer really hates that word."

Emily nodded, "sometimes we all hate that word."

Toby's eyes widened and his brain began to turn.

"They're in Rosewood."

"What?" Emily questioned.

"Rosewood is where Colin has his secret hide out. That day at the bank, he knew Spencer would be there. He sent his men in to get her. Everyone else thought it was to rob the place. That was the cover."

"Wait you think Colin had his men stage a robbery just to kidnap Spencer? But why? Why wouldn't he just send them to her home?"

Toby looked at Emily, "because it had to be right. Those men in the bank could've grabbed anyone in that place but they grabbed Spencer. They held her at gunpoint. Lucy even said that those men looked similar to the men who robbed the bank. That wasn't a coincidence."

"That bank robbery happened almost a year ago. How would Lucy even remember?"

"It would be pretty hard to forget something like that no matter how young you are."

"So, what's your point? You think Colin staged a fake bank robbery to kidnap Spencer?"

"I ruined his plan. They would've gotten away with it if I didn't distract the plan."

Emily touched his arm, "either way, you saved Spencer's life and Lucy's."

"No," he shook his head. "I'm just apart of it. I was their link to getting to the police. Someone's been working from the inside this whole time. God, I really need to talk to Jason and find out where Peter is."

"And you will. You'll talk to Jason and he'll help you find Peter and you'll save Spencer. Lucy will get her mom back and you'll have your wife back. We just have to take this one step at a time."

"A very careful step at a time," Toby added.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Will Toby be able to save Spencer? Thanks for reading please review.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Enjoy the chapter. R &R.**

* * *

 **Current time remaining: 68 hours, 24 minutes, 18 seconds.**

Toby managed to get ahold of Jason. When he finally reached Jason, Toby found out he was in New York for a business meeting. All Toby had to say was that Spencer was in trouble and Jason was on his way over. It did take Jason three hours to get to Toby's house. When Jason got there, it was close to 10 at night. Trying to get Lucy to sleep was a nightmare. She didn't want to go to bed until her mom was back safe and sound. Toby finally got her to sleep by letting her lay on her mother's side of the bed in their room. Even then, it still took a while for Lucy to fall asleep. Right now, Toby is sitting on the edge of his bed watching Lucy sleep. Instead of hugging one of her stuffed animals, she's holding onto Spencer's pillow. At 10:14, Emily poked her head in the doorway.

"Jason just pulled up in the driveway."

"Okay."

Toby got up from the bed and followed Emily out to the family room. Alison opened the door for Jason and the two siblings are now hugging. Toby joined them by the doorway and invited Jason to have a seat somewhere. The four of them; Toby, Jason, Alison and Emily sat around in the family room. Jason and Alison sat on the couch while Toby and Emily sat in one of the lounge chairs.

"So, what happened?" Jason asked.

"Two men who work for Colin came in this afternoon and kidnapped Spencer," Toby explained. "The only way to get her back is if we bring them who he really wants."

Jason was confused, "who do they want? Colin's the one who kept chasing Spencer down, he finally has her and now he wants somebody else?"

"This doesn't make any sense," Alison said.

"So, Spencer is just baited to pull in who they really do want?" Jason questioned. "What does Colin want?"

"He wants her father Peter Hastings," Toby said.

Jason's eyes went wide and he stood up, "What?"

"Do you know how long I've spent looking for my father?" Jason flared up. "I barely even know the guy and you want me to hand him over as if this is some trade in a game of Monopoly?"

"Jason." Alison touched his arm. "Before you get angry or offensive, just listen to what Toby has to say."

Jason took a breath, "Alright." He sat back down. "Tell me more."

Toby leaned forward with his hands' clasps together out in front of him, "None of this is easy I know that. It's not any easier for me either. I don't know what Colin and his men want with Peter but I don't know what else to do." His eyes began to water.

"They've got Spencer and right now, there's nothing else I can think of to do that could save her. They're watching my every move and if I slip up or do something they don't like, she's dead. I can't lose her. Lucy can't lose her. I can't speak for her friends but I can guarantee they don't want to lose Spencer either. She's your sister and I know that you've only known her for a few months but I know that you already love her as your little sister. Just like you love your other sister Alison."

"Toby," Jason said. "I want to help I do but what you're asking."

"We're not asking for anything," Alison said. "Just not yet anyway."

"We just need to find Peter and talk to him," Emily said. "We have to find out what connection Peter has with Colin."

"I know that you've spent most of your life trying to track down your parents," Toby said. "Please come with me to talk to your dad. I know that this isn't easy but I just can't stand the thought of Spencer-"

"I get it," Jason said. "I do. That man has never taken much interest in getting to know his children. Even if we do go talk to him, what do you expect to happen? You think he'd drop his perfect life to save his daughter?"

"I don't know," Toby admitted. "But it's worth a shot to at least try talking to him. Please, Jason, she's my wife and Lucy's mother."

Jason debated about it for some time in the back of his mind. He took a deep breath and finally came to an agreement.

"Alright," he nodded. "I'll take you to Peter. We'll talk to him together."

Toby felt some sort of relief, "Thank you, Jason."

"Peter's not far from Rosewood," Jason said. "He and his wife own a fine lake home in Bucks County right near Rosewood and that's where he's been living for the last eight years."

"Is his wife living with him?" Toby asked.

Jason shook his head, "I'm not sure. But, I know Peter lives there because I went to see him just last month. It didn't go well and I didn't stay long."

"Okay, we'll go there and talk to him."

Jason stood up and slapped his hands against his knees, "when should we leave?"

"Right now," Toby said as he stood. "I don't want to waste any time. We have to work fast."

"Okay. I'll drive I'm sure my cars faster. No offense," Jason smirked playfully. "But you drive an old truck so…"

Toby nodded, "No, you're probably right." He turned to Emily and Alison who are now standing. "Can you girls stay here and take care of Lucy?"

"Sure," Emily said. "But, what if those guys come back for her?"

"They've already got the bait they need," Toby said. "I don't think they'd come back for her but if they do…" He hesitated. "Promise me that you'll do everything you can to protect that girl. Leave in the morning and stay with Hanna and Caleb. The more people who are around Lucy to protect her, the better. If it comes down to it and you're all out of options, call the police."

"Okay," Emily nodded.

"Lucy will be safe with us, Toby," Alison said. "We swear."

"Thank you," he said, eyeing them both. "I don't want to wake Lucy and risk her not going back to sleep so, when she wakes up, tell her goodbye for me, I love her and that both mommy and daddy will be back soon."

"We will," Emily said.

Toby nodded. Emily gave Toby a hug. They all said their quick goodbyes. Jason and Toby wasted no more time getting in the car and out on the road to find Peter. Neither one of them knew what would happen next, but both hoped all would work out in the end.

* * *

" _Relax and breathe."_

 _A thirty-year-old blonde nurse named Teddy sat beside Spencer who is currently in labor. Spencer was alone in her apartment packing her stuff when she felt something wet soaking through her sweat pants. At first, she was in denial about going into labor. She still had another three weeks to go. There's no way she could possibly be having her baby now. Colin's threats still hung heavily over her head. He gave her money to get rid of the baby but she never did. A few weeks after she decided not to abort the baby, she sent the money back to him and moved to a new apartment complex in York. Just when Spencer thought she had heard the last from Colin, one of his men came to her door yesterday to warn her that he would come for her. That's what lead to Spencer's packing. She had to get out and away from here. She knows she can't board any plans right now because she's pregnant. Hell, she should've left the country when she was still able to instead of staying._

 _A huge contraction ripped it's way through her body making her yell out and curl up over her bed. Her eyes watered as she started to breathe deeply like she was trained to. Her roommate's not home and probably wouldn't be until much later. She was in no condition to drive herself right now but she has to get to a hospital._

" _Ah!"_

 _She knelt down on the floor and rested her head against her bed. Her hands curled against the blankets on her bed. She took more deep breaths and tried to find the strength to get to her phone. It's on the dresser right behind her. Her first contraction ended and she was able to stand again. Spencer got up off the floor and stumbled over to the dresser. She grasps her phone with sweaty hands and clumsily called for help. It took close to ten minutes for an ambulance to show up. She was rushed into the ambulance and they took her straight to the hospital. In the middle of the ride, she had another contraction. Each one hurt more._

 _Now, several moments later, Spencer is lying in a hospital bed giving birth to her baby. Teddy is holding her hand, coaching her to breathe, and using a cold sponge to clear her forehead from sweat. Dr. Petit is the one helping with the delivery._

" _Alright, Spencer, just one more big push. You can do this."_

 _Spencer pushed with all she had and soon, the room was filled with the sound of a baby's cry. Her baby. Dr. Petit passed the baby to nurse Teddy who held out a white blanket for the baby. Teddy cleaned the baby off some._

" _Congratulations Spencer," Teddy grinned. "You have a beautiful baby girl."_

 _Spencer was very careful when the nurse handed her her baby girl. More tears filled her eyes as she held her squirmy baby. Spencer sniffled and smiled when her baby grasps two of her fingers. Her baby stopped crying the moment she came into Spencer's arms. Spencer kissed her daughter's head and rubbed her cheek against hers._

" _Oh," she cried. "She's so beautiful."_

 _Nurse Teddy held a clipboard and pen, "have you thought of a name?"_

 _Spencer sucked down on her bottom lip to think then nodded._

" _Lucile. Lucile Mara Hastings. Lucy for short."_

 _Teddy smiled and wrote that down, "that's a beautiful name for a beautiful baby girl."_

 _Spencer huffed a laugh, "yeah."_

 _Dr. Petit reentered the room with some man with dark hair wearing a suit. Spencer didn't recognize the man with the Doctor. He held a brief case and a dark orange folder. The strange man spoke._

" _Miss. Hastings my name is Dean Folder I'm with the adoption agency. Your doctor informed me that the last time you spoke you hadn't officially made up your mind about keeping your baby. We do have a potential set of parents on the waiting list if you made up your mind about adoption."_

 _Again, Spencer's eyes watered. Her bottom lip trembled as she looked back down at her baby girl. Lucile's eyes just opened and Spencer couldn't help herself from melting under her daughter's soft brown eyes. The baby made a gurgling sound and waved her hands around. Spencer's lips turned into a happy/sad smile._

" _Miss. Hastings, have you made up your mind?"_

" _Yes, I have," she kept her head down and smiled lovingly at Lucy. "She's mine. This is my baby girl and I'm never letting her go."_

 _Spencer had no idea what she'd have to do after that. Colin is still out there planning to hurt her for not accepting his deal. She's seen what he has down to his past associates and does not want that to happen to her. As soon as Spencer's able to, she's taking herself and her daughter out of England and getting far away from Colin. She's not sure where they'll go. Her parents won't take her in. Her sister would never let them stay with her. For now, her only plan is to leave London. Maybe her old friend Emily will let them stay with her for a few months. Just until they're able to get on their feet and live on their own. It doesn't really matter. Spencer will do whatever it takes to keep her daughter safe. Maybe someday she'll find someone who will care, love them and want to protect them both._

Spencer felt extremely groggy and weak. For the past hour, she had been trying to find the strength in herself to stay awake. After they took her from her home, they injected her with some drug where she couldn't move. Then, they gave her another one to knock her out. The last time she woke up, she was in a dark box where she couldn't see anything. There was no light coming in or out but she could tell that she was in a moving vehicle. When the van came to a stop, the doors flew open and she was nearly blinded by a bright light in her face. It was so bright that she could barely see one of the men come up to inject her with more drugs. It took her thirty seconds to go out.

Now, here she is, tied up somewhere trying to wake herself up. After another ten minutes, her eyes opened but her vision was blurry. Without even looking, she could feel goosebumps all over her body and something warm, liquid and kind of sticky was running down her arm. It was probably blood but she was took weak to turn her head to look. Her mouth and throat felt dry like she hadn't drinking anything in days. A hollow sound coming from somewhere, she's not sure where, but it sounded like an echo from a vent. Spencer blinked her eyes several times before her vision started to clear. In the center of the room, there's a light bulb hanging from a rope. She's tied up in a hard metal chair in the middle of an empty room. It looks like an empty room in an apartment building. This place is probably out of date. There's not much else to look out. No windows. The floors are made of old dusty wood and the walls are a dirty yellowish color due to smoke. Spencer guessed that she's in a closet. It took her a moment to realize that there's a brown door at the far end of the room. She could hear voices on the other side. Several voices.

Spencer cleared her throat and let out a deep breath. Her mouth wasn't covered but she couldn't speak. Her mind was screaming but nothing came out of her mouth. After clearing her eyes one more time, she saw something blinking on the wall behind her. She groaned in pain trying to turn her head to see what it was. It's a board displaying red numbers and they're counting down. Right now, the bright red numbers read **63 hours, 29 minutes, and 32 seconds.** Is that supposed to be a bomb? Is that how much time she had to live? Is this really how her life's going to end? She'll die being strapped down to a chair waiting for a bomb to go off and kill her. No. This can't happen. Not like this. What about her daughter? What about Lucy? She can't leave her without a mother. What about her friends? What about Toby? She can't just leave them all alone. Spencer's eyes began to water and tears flooded heavily down her cheeks. She wanted to yell. She wanted to scream out but she couldn't. Her whole body was just frozen in place and she couldn't do anything about it. Instead, she bowed her head down towards her lap and cried.

"I love you Toby," she thought to herself. She hoped that somehow or someway they could hear her thoughts. She sniffled. "I love you Lucy."

 **Time remaining: 61 hours, 13 minutes, and 34 seconds.**

It was just after 5 in the morning when Jason's car pulled into the driveway of the Hastings's lake house. It's still dark outside and quiet. The only thing one could hear is the sounds of crickets and an owl in the distance. Another car is already parked in the driveway so that meant somebody definitely lives here. Toby sent a text to Emily to let them know they made it to Bucks County. It appeared dark inside the home but the light to the porch is on.

"Alright," Jason whispered. "Let's get this over with."

The two men got out of the car and quietly walked up the gravel pathway to the porch steps. They reached the front door and Jason knocked rather harshly on the door it actually made Toby jump. They waited a few long seconds and when nobody answered, Jason knocked louder. It took another second for them to hear footsteps shuffling on the other side of the door. Peter was trying to rest in bed when he was awakened by a harsh knock on the door. He unwillingly threw the covers off from over him, slipped on his bathrobes and began his journey towards the front door. He hadn't had the slightest clue as to who could be knocking at this hour. He just reached the stars when he heard them knock again.

"Okay, I'm coming I'm coming!" He said mostly to himself. "Hell hold your horses."

Peter unlocked the door and swung it open. He was faced with two young men. One of them looked familiar and the other he has never seen before in his life. It took Peter a second to focus his eyes and realize that one of these men is his son.

"Jason?" Peter squinted his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here? And at this hour? Do you have the slightest clue what time it is?" His eyes shift to the man next to him. He points at the stranger.

"Who the hell is this?"

"Mr. Hastings," Toby was the one to speak. "My names Toby Cavanaugh."

Peter slumped against the doorframe, "and I care because?"

"I'm married to your youngest daughter, Spencer Hastings. I'm her husband. Look, somethings happened to her and we really need to talk."

He stood up straighter, "my daughter?"

Jason rolled his eyes, "cut the crap, dad. We don't have time for your selfishness or games. Your daughter is in serious danger and you need to listen to what Toby has to say. We don't have much time."

"We want to ask you what connection you have with some guy named Colin," Toby said.

The older man's eyes widen and he tried to hide it. Toby and Jason weren't stupid though. He contemplated in his head whether to let them in or not. Finally, Peter cleared his throat and gestured towards the entrance.

"Come in."

* * *

 **Hmm. What do you think Peter will have to say? Will he be willing to help his daughter or is he still the same selfish man he's always been? You'll find out on my next update. Thanks for reading the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. As always, review.**

 **Time remaining: 61 hours, 30 minutes, and 12 seconds.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Toby and Jason get some answers from Peter. Read to find out what he has to say.**

* * *

 **Time remaining: 61 hours, 46 minutes, and 23 seconds.**

Peter directed the boys to the living room. Toby and Jason took a seat on the two seater couch. The room felt awkward and suddenly Toby felt uneasy being here. Peter reentered the room and this time, he was dressed in a gray sweater and sweat pants.

"Do uh," Peter's voice came out rough when he spoke. "Do you boys want anything to drink? Some coffee tea or water?"

"Dad we didn't come all this way for a cup of crappy coffee," Jason said.

"We need to know who this Colin guy is and what connection you have with this person," Toby said.

"Why do you need to know? What makes you so sure That i have anything to do with this guy?"

"Well, i think the look you got on your face when we mentioned the guys name was a dead giveaway," Jason said.

"Colin and his men have Spencer kidnapped and they're not letting her go until they talk to you in person."

"Dad this is Spencer's life on the line here. She can't die. She has a daughter and friends and she's married."

"And what?" Peter snapped. "I don't have any of that for myself?"

"Clearly what's happening to Spencer right now is a direct result of something you did!" Toby snapped.

"What happened dad?" Jason cornered him. "Huh? Did you wrongfully get someone sent to jail? Did you skip out on paying a debt? What did you do that put Spencer's life in danger?"

"Spencer was a very disobedient teenager!" Peter tried to defined himself which only made Toby angry. "She partied all the time and had many drug problems. The people she hung around were wild! Spencer went to London and came home pregnant for heaven sakes! She probably got herself in trouble with those guys!"

"How the hell would you know what trouble Spencer got in or if she even did!?" Toby shot up. "You were never around! You and her mother ignored Spencer her entire life! She never felt like anything she did was ever good enough for you!"

"Because it wasn't!" Peter said.

"She played sports in high school and had straight As all throughout her school career. She was class president 3 years in high school," Toby explained. "She spent her summer's doing internships and taking classes at Hollis! She got a scholarship at Upenn for Academic's. She spent two summers working in London! What part of that isn't good enough for you?"

Peter's face turned beat red, "the part where she dropped out of UPenn and decided to go to community college because she got pregnant!"

"So that's what it all comes back to huh?" Jason said. "Dad Spencer got pregnant and made a great life for herself! She's still a great smart person."

"Not the way we wanted it." Peter sighed.

"Spencer's still your daughter," Jason said. "What happened between you and Colin. Spencer will die soon if we don't figure this crap out."

"I'm not going to stop until my wife is safe and back where she belongs," Toby said. "What happened?"

There was a long pause between all of them. Peter sat staring off into space. Finally, he cleared his throat to speak.

"I've always known Colin as a businessman. Not the kind of business anyone would think was normal. He and I made a deal a few years back. What I didn't realize is that every deal you make with that man comes with a price. A dangerous price."

"What kind of deal did you make with this man?" Toby asked.

"Spencer was pregnant and I thought what I was doing was best for her," Peter exclaimed. "After I found out that Spencer was pregnant, I had a little talk with Colin. I wanted him to convince her to get an abortion."

"What?"

"What!?" Toby sat forward in anger. "You pushed Colin to push Spencer to get rid of her baby?"

"I offered to pay him," Peter said. "But the deal was that I would pay him only after he did his job. That was the deal."

"Why would you even think to pay Colin to convince Spencer to get rid of her baby?" Toby asked.

Peter held his hands together, "because I've made the same deal with him before. Spencer wasn't the only one who got pregnant by him. A year before Spencer, he got Melissa pregnant too."

Jason looked up in shook.

"Melissa was once pregnant," Toby said.

"Melissa at first wanted to keep her baby too but I didn't want her too. I tracked down Melissa's baby father and it was Colin. I talked to him and he didn't want Melissa to have the baby either so we made a deal. He'd convinced Melissa to get rid of her baby and I'd pay him to do it. Melissa used to be so stubborn and I knew it would be hard to get her to do it. Then, Colin talked to Melissa a few days later and she did it. I paid him off and thought I'd never have to deal with him again."

"And then he got to Spencer," Jason said.

"Colin knew who Spencer was before she even met him," Toby guessed. "He already knew who you and Melissa were so he probably stalked Spencer for awhile before approaching her."

"He had to have known and I'd come to him if I knew another one of my daughter's got pregnant," Peter said. "I went to him again and we fought."

 **Flash back**

 _Without his wife or daughters knowing, Peter boarded a plane and flew to London to have a word with Colin. He remembered where his office was from the last time he visited. When his flight landed in London, he wasted no time getting in Cab all the way to Colin's work place. It's early morning now. The time's 8am. He wasn't even sure he would find Colin in his office at this hour but he kept going. He reached Colin's office building and took the elevator up to his office. Without knocking, Peter rushed right into Colin's office. Colin was sitting at his desk writing something. Colin looked up from his desk and smirked in his direction._

" _Ah! Mr. Hastings I thought I might hear from you! Come sit, sit!"_

" _You bastard!" Peter hissed. "You did this on purpose!"_

 _Colin looked at him innocently, "did what?"_

" _Shut up! You know what you did you son-of-a-bitch. You got my other daughter pregnant."_

" _Well, pops," Colin chuckled and spread his arms out. "What can I say? Seems your daughters have a similar taste in men. I blame the accent. American girls fall for it every time."_

" _This isn't funny!" Peter shouted. "You did this now you have to undo this!"_

" _Undo it how?"_

" _You know how."_

" _Right," Colin kicked his feet up on his desk. "I believe $3,000 is what we agreed on last time."_

" _Stop!" Peter swatted at the air. "I'm not doing this again!"_

" _You want it gone. I want it gone. I convinced the other she wanted it gone. I'll do it again. Spencer looks easy anyway," he smirked. "After all, she was easy to get in bed."_

" _Shut up!" Peter lunged at Colin, grabbed him by his suit and pinned him back against the wall. "You shut right up! You hear me!?"_

" _That's it, pape," Colin taunted. "Get all that anger out. First, comes shock. Then, comes anger. Next, comes desperation."_

 _Peter released him and shook his head, "no."_

 _Colin sneered in his face, "$3,000 to make the problem go away."_

 **End of flashback**

Peter sat there shaking his head. He can't even look at either of the boys in the eye. He knows what he did was wrong. It was bad enough he did it to Melissa. He tried doing it again to his other daughter. Going to make deals with the devil is what put his family in danger. It's also what broke their family. He and his wife got divorced two years after Spencer left home. Melissa moved away. It's only Peter all alone in this lakehouse.

"I never forgave myself for what I did to Melissa," Peter said. "Then I just went and did it again to Spencer. I never paid Colin for the second job because I was angry that Spencer ended up keeping the baby. Colin got mad because he wasn't getting paid. As a result, he started scaring Spencer and her daughter until I agreed to pay all that money back."

"And you never paid him anything at all," Jason said. "That's why he's been taunting Spencer all this time? Because her father is a selfish bastard."

"I already admitted what I did was wrong!" He shouted. He spoke in a calmer voice, "they say once you make a deal with the devil, there's hell to pay."

"This is all so messed up," Toby said. "You really were so desperate to keep Spencer from having a baby that you were willing to put everyone else's lives in danger. And for what? To prevent yourself from having a grandchild?"

"You don't understand-"

"Understand?" Toby stood up and yelled. "Damn right I don't understand. I don't understand how a father could do this to their own child. You did it to both of them. I know in the end, it's still their decision on what they do with their bodies, but you tried to take that right away from them. And you put them in even more danger by doing so! Do not sit there in your own pity party. You did this! You and that freak! You did this and you should be the one tied up scared for you life somewhere, not Spencer!"

"Toby," Jason stood up to calm him down. "Toby, Toby. He gets it, okay? Just calm down."

"If I could go back and do it all over again I swear that I would," Peter said. "I wasn't thinking and sorry doesn't fix or change what I did but I am. If there's something that I can do-"

"There is something that you can do," Toby said. "You can come with us now and turn yourself in so that Colin guy will let Spencer go!"

* * *

Nobody slept soundly that night. Lucy slept for a few hours maybe. She kept waking up every so often screaming and crying for her mommy to come back. Emily and Alison would take turns comforting her back to sleep. Lucy finally went to sleep for good at 4 am and hasn't woken up since. That gave Emily and Alison a chance to lay their heads down for a bit.

The sun rose and so did Lucy. She blinked her little brown eyes and looked around to check her surroundings. She knows that she's in her parent's bed but neither of them is here with her now. Her eyes began to water and her lip quivered. Pretty soon, the little girl was bawling. Minutes later, Alison came into the room and sat down next to Lucy. She wrapped Lucy in a hug and rubbed her back.

"Where's mommy and daddy?" Lucy cried. "Why aren't they back yet?"

"Oh, honey. They're still out there looking for your mommy. They'll be back before you know it."

"I was hoping mommy getting kidnapped was all a bad dream."

Alison kissed the top of Lucy's head and rubbed her shoulder some more. "I know, sweetie. I was hoping it was all a bad dream too. I miss them as much as you do, kid."

Emily poked her head in the doorway at them, "how's everything in here?"

Alison looked up with her arm still around Lucy. "Not great."

"I want mommy," Lucy began to sob again.

Emily walked over and squatted down on her knees in front of her. "I know you miss your parents, sweetie but don't you worry. Toby loves your mom and he's going to do whatever it takes to get her back. He will get her back and when he does, they'll both be back safe and sound. Okay?"

Lucy nodded, "okay."

Emily patted Lucy's thigh, "are you hungry? I could make you some breakfast."

"Yes."

"What would you like? Do you want eggs, toast, or pancakes? I could make waffles if you'd like. You know I make the best waffles."

Lucy's face lit up, "you do make the best waffles, aunt Em."

"I could enjoy some waffles too," Alison said.

"Okay," Emily stood up. "I'll go make them."

"Aunt Em!" Lucy called when Emily was halfway out the door.

Emily poked her head back in, "yeah?"

"Don't forget the chocolate chips."

"Make that extra chocolate chips," Alison added.

Emily smirked, "coming right up."

Emily made waffles and the three of them sat down at the table to enjoy them. However, their moment of bliss didn't last long. Lucy is still upset over not having her parents around. The two women would try to say something to lift Lucy's spirit, but Lucy would only smile weakly then go back to frowning again. Emily and Alison shared a look of concern not sure what to do.

"Hey, Lucy," Emily began softly. "Alison and I have talked it over and we think it might be best if we go to New York to visit Caleb and Hanna."

"You're leaving me?"

"No," Alison cut in. "We'd take you with us. Just for a little while though."

"But who's going to wait for daddy to come home with mommy?"

Emily answered, "we talked to Toby and he thinks it would be safer for you to be surrounded by more people who can protect you. You'll be a lot safer in New York."

"I thought I would be safe here but that didn't stop those bad guys from coming in here to take mommy," Lucy said.

Alison gave a sympathetic look, "sweetie we know how hard this is for you but we really think taking you to New York with us would be best for you. Okay?"

Lucy finally nodded in some sort of agreement, "okay."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading leave a review.**


	31. Chapter 31

**R &R**

* * *

Time remaining: 50 hours, 12 minutes, and 05 seconds.

The more time that went by, the more nervous Toby got. For the past several hours, Jason, Toby, and even Peter have been trying to come up with the best possible way to confront this problem and save Spencer. Toby excused himself from the living room to call Emily to check on Lucy.

"Hey, Toby," Emily spoke. "How's it going? Did you find Spencer's father yet?"

"Yeah. We've been with him for most of the morning and we're trying to figure out the best way to confront this."

"I thought the deal was to hand over Peter in return for Spencer's release."

"That's Colin's plan but I'm not so sure he'll keep his end of the deal. We need a backup plan."

"Do what you have to do just be careful."

"I will, Em. How's Lucy?"

Emily sighed. "We left your house a few hours ago and went to Hanna's. We've been here for an hour or so. Ali and I just didn't feel comfortable staying there not knowing whether they were watching the house."

"No, that was a good call moving Lucy so she'll be around more familiar people who can protect her."

"She's been asking a lot of questions. She can't understand why someone would come in to hurt her mom."

"I know just keep telling her not to worry. Spencer, we'll be home soon."

"Okay. You be careful too," Emily said. "Lucy doesn't need to lose both of her parents."

"I will. I got to get back. We've only got so much time."

"We'll talk later then. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Toby hung up with Emily then returned to the living room. He took his seat next to Jason and wondered if anything's changed regarding the plan since he left the room.

"Mr. Hastings you know these people the best," Toby said. "if we bring you to them, would they let Spencer go?"

Peter sighed, "Colin is a very tricky man. It's hard to say what he'll do but if we play our cards right we can beat him."

"Something tells me you tried to beat him before and kidnapping Spencer is his way of getting revenge," Jason said.

"The man wants money," Peter said. "That bastard is money hungry."

"So you think if we give him the money he wants he'll let Spencer go?" Toby asked.

"He'll take money," Peter nodded. "But for all, we know Spencer could already be dead."

Toby's body tensed up and he clenched his jaw.

"We can't let our minds go there," Jason said.

"I'm just saying that this guy will do anything to get money," Peter said. "Are you sure about not calling the police on this?"

"If we do that they'll kill Spencer without a second thought," Jason said. He looked at Toby. "Didn't you say you thought the cops may be involved in this?"

Toby sat up, "not all of them. There may have been one or two cops that were there the day of the robbery that had something to do with it. That explains how the robbers ended up getting away. I just don't know who was involved."

"Well think back to that day," Jason suggested. "Who was there that day that seemed off to you? In that moment you were distracted on saving Spencer but now try to think back to that day. If you can figure out which one of your colleagues was involved, we can get to them and find a way to use him or her to our advantage. Think about everything."

Toby did think back and he tried to think about everything. That day he went in with a few other officers. He wanted to go in but the other officers kept telling him to wait. Was it possible that was the reason some of the officers didn't want him to go into that bank? Who was involved?

"Are we going in yet or not?" Officer James Scott asked.

"Not yet," Lorenzo said. "I'm trying to get a good look to see how many people are in there."

"We should go in already!" Toby hissed.

"No!" Lorenzo shouted. "We don't know how many hostages are in there, where they are, and if they're in the line of fire. Cavanaugh, you have the best view of what's going on inside. Look in and tell us what you see."

Toby carefully poked his head around the edge and looked through the plate glass window. Right now, all that's in view are two men holding guns. There's a middle-aged man standing behind the counter shaking while the third guy demands money. Over on the left side of the room, he can see middle aged women crouching down behind a table praying not to get shot. There's also a man sitting with his back against the wall and his knees against his chest. Toby looked to the other side of the room and practically gasped at the young women who can't be any older than twenty-five. She's sitting on the ground clinging on to her daughter as they wait for help to come. A rush of panic came over him.

"There's about four hostages in there. One of them is a young mother with a daughter. They've got a kid in there!" Toby shouted to the other officers.

"Dammit," James hissed.

"We have to get in there now," Toby said.

"We can't. What if they shoot somebody?" Lorenzo said.

"They might shoot somebody if we don't go in there," Toby said.

"Cavanaugh don't you dare!" Lorenzo warned.

Toby held up his gun and ignored him. On the count of three, Toby rushed in there and fired a few shots.

Toby's eyes went wide just by thinking back to that day. Now that he really thinks about it Lorenzo was acting strangely. He was the one that kept telling Toby and Scott not to go into the bank. Why was Lorenzo so against going into the bank to save everyone? That's not the only time Lorenzo wanted Toby to stop being a hero.

"Wait!" Toby yelled. The man paused. "Don't shot her," he said slowly putting his gun down to the side. "Don't shot her. Shot me instead."

"What?" Lorenzo whispered to him.

"Are you serious?" The robber asked.

"Yes," Toby nodded seriously. "If you're going to kill somebody, kill me."

"Drop your weapon," the man ordered. "All of you drop your weapons or this girl dies."

Toby looked at the man while he slowly kneeled down to set his gun on the floor. He held his hands up in surrender and rose back up on his feet.

"Toby!" Lorenzo hissed. "What are you doing? Pick up your gun!"

"Just put your gun down so he doesn't kill that girl," Toby whispered.

"He's going to shot both of us, that girl, and everyone in this room if we do!"

Now that day makes sense. It took awhile but Toby now understands why Lorenzo didn't want him interfering. He was working with them. After the incident, Lorenzo was the only one who defended Toby's actions. Toby thought he was just different from the other officers and truly believed that Toby was doing good. It was all an act. Lorenzo stayed on Toby's good side in hopes that he wouldn't suspect anything. That's why the police told Toby it was safe to return home when it really wasn't. All this time, Toby thought Lorenzo was a friend. Turns out, he's been betraying everyone this whole time.

"Toby," Jason snapped him from his thoughts.

Toby looked up, "I know exactly who's working with Colin."

* * *

Time Remaining: 46 hours, 1 minute and 34 seconds

Lorenzo was just finishing his 12-hour shift at the station. On his way home, he stopped at his favorite restaurant to pick up a burger, fries and a strawberry milkshake. As Lorenzo was making his way back to his car, a tall man with light sandy hair and blue eyes came up to him.

"Can I help you?" Lorenzo asked.

"Yeah," the man answered. "I'm such an idiot I accidentally locked my keys inside my car. I tried getting them out on my own but I'm having no luck. Would you mind giving me a hand?"

"Well-"

"I don't mean to take up much of your time. I would ask someone else for help but as you can see, there's nobody else around."

"Alright," Lorenzo gave in.

He tossed his bag inside his own car then followed the strange man back to his car. They walked across the parking lot and turned around the corner of the store. Lorenzo was confused and didn't understand why this guy has his car hidden behind the building. The guy gestured for Lorenzo to step up to the car. Before he could act, Lorenzo felt someone walk up and slam his chest hard against the car door and a gun being held to the back of his head.

"You make a sound and you're dead," Lorenzo heard a voice that he thought he knew but wasn't sure. "Do you understand?"

Lorenzo nodded. The man with the gun went through Lorenzo's pockets to take his phone and check for any backup plans this guy may have.

"Alright," the man's voice said. "Get in the car."

Lorenzo did as he was told and found his way into the back seat of the black car. The man with the gun got into the back seat with him and told the hooded figure to drive. Lorenzo had no idea who either of these two men is because they're covering their faces with black hoodies. Just when Lorenzo felt the car make a sharp turn, he felt something hard be slammed into the side of his head knocking him out.

47 hours, 52 minutes and 13 seconds

Slowly, Lorenzo began to receive consciousness. He woke up and found himself tied to a chair in a motel room. The two men who jumped him were sitting across the room at a table. Their faces are no longer covered. The blue eyed man who confronted him in the parking lot's here and so is an older looking man. The older man was probably the one who held the gun to his head. It was the third guy Lorenzo saw that shocked him.

"Toby?" Lorenzo sat up in the chair. "What? Are you behind this? What's going on?"

"You know exactly what's going on," Toby said.

"No, I don't. Toby would you please just talk to me. You're really scaring me here. We're supposed to be buds."

Toby couldn't help himself. He clenched his hand into a tight fist and punched Lorenzo in the jaw. Lorenzo groaned and could taste blood in his mouth.

"You and I aren't buds," Toby said. "Do you remember the day of that bank robbery?"

Lorenzo shrugged, "yeah. We saved a woman from getting killed."

"I saved a woman," Toby said. "You never wanted us to go into the bank that day. Why? Why did you suggest we wait outside?"

"The moment wasn't right. I didn't feel it was safe to go in. We had no idea what those guys were planning."

"Oh, I think you knew exactly what those guys were planning. You didn't want us to go in because you were apart of their plan."

"What?" Lorenzo faked a laugh. "That's insane. I was on duty alongside the rest of you."

Toby got right up in his face and his voice got dangerously low, "I would not lie right now. Jason is Spencer's brother and he has nothing to lose so he will kill you if anything happens to her. Also, Spencer is my wife and a mother of a worried little girl who wants her mom back. I am this close to beating you to a pulp so I'm asking you to tell me what you know about Colin's plan with the Hastings."

Lorenzo closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Okay. Okay, I'll talk. I was involved with what happened that day."

Toby stood up and punched him harder in the face. Lorenzo groaned and spat blood out of his mouth. Toby began pacing around the room to calm himself down.

"How could you do this?" Toby said. "How could you work with those guys when you have a duty to your colleagues. To the city. Your job is to protect the people and you betrayed everyone."

"It's not what you think!" Lorenzo shouted.

"Not what I think?" Toby fought back. "You helped a dangerous man get away with crimes.:

"I didn't want to. I didn't have a choice." He sighed. "Listen a week before the robbery, I got an anonymous email. Colin was blackmailing me to help him get away with what he came for. He told me to keep the rest of the officers from interrupting their plan so they could grab who they came for."

"So you were willing to help them kidnap and kill an innocent woman?"

"I didn't get any details on what that woman was like," Lorenzo shouted. "They made it sound like they were undercover cops of their own and the person they were after was bad."

"That's crap," Toby said. "Spencer was the victim. And what about her daughter?"

"I didn't know a kid would be in the crossfire," Lorenzo admitted. "You going in there wasn't part of the plan either."

"You're an asshole, Lorenzo," Toby said. "You could've prevented this. You should've told Tanner and those guys would be in jail. Spencer would not be in danger right now and Lucy would have her mother. You knew for a week that this kind of stunt would happen and you never said a word! This is your fault!"

"I didn't have a choice, Toby! They threatened to hurt my wife and my kid. I panicked!"

"Are you sure it wasn't because they offered you a huge amount of money?"

"Toby you know that I don't care much about making big money. You're getting ready to trade Spencer's father to get her back! Try telling me that what I did is no different than what you're doing!"

"It is not that same!" Toby hissed. "Do you know what their endgame plan is?"

"You'll have to call Colin to tell him that you have Peter and they're going to ask for money. As soon as Peter agrees to give them money, they'll tell you where to meet and when " Lorenzo explained.

"How do I know that you're not setting us up for another trap?"

"What other choice do you have?"

Toby eyed Lorenzo closely for a long time. He then turned around to look at Jason and Peter who didn't seem entirely convinced. Toby sighed.

"He's right. We don't have any other choice."

"Toby," Jason sat up. "Are you sure this is what we should do?"

"We don't know anything about Colin but Lorenzo does."

"There's something else you don't know," Lorenzo said. "Do you remember the guy who shot the robber who held Spencer at gunpoint? That was a setup. They all had bulletproof vests on. Them getting shot was their backup plan to get out. However, only two of those men wore vests. The guy you shot really died."

"The bank teller was also involved in the attempted kidnapping," Toby said.

"He wasn't a real bank worker. The guy's name was Danny. His job was to alert Colin's men to let him know Spencer arrived at the bank."

"Is there anything else that you didn't tell me?"

"That's all I swear. Just get ahold of Colin and tell him that you have Peter ready to hand over. It will all work out on its own from there," Lorenzo said.

"I don't trust leaving anything to chance," Jason said. "We need a backup plan."

"Just make the call," Mr. Hastings said. "I've done enough damage. If it's my money and life that Colin wants, it's what he's going to get."

"Okay," Toby agreed. "Jason make sure Lorenzo keeps quiet while I make the call."

Jason held up a gun and nodded, "done."

Toby took a deep breath before taking his phone out of his pocket. He scrolled through his recent calls and found the blocked caller. He called the blocked number and waited for it to ring. It took awhile but someone answered. The line was quiet at first. It just sounded fuzzy and like someone was breathing into the phone.

"Yes?" A deep voice on the other end answered.

Toby swallowed over the lump in his theory, "we have Peter Hastings."

"Do you?"

"Yes, now, Are you going to tell me where I can find Spencer?"

"Not so fast," a male British voice took over. "I need proof that you've got Peter Hastings. Put him on the phone."

Toby tore the phone away from his ear and handed it out for Peter to take, "he wants to talk to you."

Peter swallowed and reached for the phone with a shaky hand. Instead of holding the phone to his ear, he put it on speaker phone.

"This is Peter."

"Peter Hastings," Colin spoke. "It's been a long time. How's my old American friend?"

"You and I are not friends," Peter hissed. "Just let my daughter go."

"Not so fast you old timer. You owe me something."

"Fine. How much? $6,000?"

"$6,000 hardly covers it," Colin said. "$10,000."

"What?" Peter exclaimed. "The deal was $6,000. That's always your price."

"Times have changed and my price has gone up. Besides, you've skipped out on me so that makes it extra. If you deliver me $10,000 in cash, I'll tell you where Spencer is. If not, she dies. The blood will be on your hands."

Peter looked at Toby and Jason and they both seemed to be up for it. They need to put an end to this and get Spencer back.

"Okay," Peter agreed. "$10,000 it is. Tell me where to drop the money."

"I plan on meeting face to face. Tomorrow, come to the Lodge at Thorne Hill at midnight. Spencer will be inside the lodge and I'll be waiting outside in a black SUV. You give me the money and I'll return the bitch."

"We'll be there," Peter said.

The other end of the phone went dead meaning Colin had hung up. Peter ended his end of the call then handed the phone back to Toby. None of them knew if this plan would work out in their favor but they don't really have any other choice.

"Toby," Jason pulled him aside. "Just in case Colin tries to trip us out, I've got a backup plan."

"No, Jason," Toby said. "You remember what they said. If we try to do any tricks of our own, they'll kill Spencer. It's too risky. Lorenzo even said this maybe the only way."

"I don't trust what Lorenzo has to say. Colin could be tricking us either way so we minus well have tricks of our own up our sleeve."

"Okay," Toby agreed. "What do you have in mind?"

* * *

 **i'm sorry that this chapter is really crappy. My writing's just not as good as it used to be and I'm getting tired of writing this story. Luckily I only have a couple more chapters left then I'll be done with this story and be done writing fan fiction. Don't forget to review even though I know 99% of you don't care.**


	32. Chapter 32

**A new chapter. R &R**

* * *

At 11:50, Peter pulled up outside the lodge Colin instructed them to meet at. Toby and Jason drove separate but stayed close behind Peter. The black SUV is parked several feet away from the Lodge. Peter tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and waited for Colin to show himself. When the clock struck midnight, the door to the SUV opened and two men stepped out. One of them Peter recognized to be Colin. His hair is a bit longer and lighter since the last time Peter saw him. But the evil smirk on his face was hard to forget. Toby and Jason watched closely from their own car.

"Should we go with him?" Jason asked. "In case they double cross him."

"I don't want them to see you," Toby said. "Right now, we should stay put until they give me orders to come out and they will. We just have to wait."

Jason looked at Toby, "are you nervous?"

He sighed, "my heart is racing a million miles per second and I'm telling myself to stay calm but I'm freaking out inside. If she dies man-"

"Hey, don't think like that." Jason looked out the car window and nudge Toby's shoulder. "Look."

Peter got out of his own car and started walking towards Colin and his little sidekick. He has an envelope hidden under his coat that has all the money Colin asked for. There are lights on inside the lodge so he wasn't sure if Spencer is really inside the lodge or if they have her in the van. Colin and Peter finally met face to face.

"Hello my old friend," Colin smirked. "It's good to see you."

"You and I are not friends," Peter said. "Where's my daughter?"

"Hold on. Before we get to that, where's that handsome husband of hers?"

Peter shook his head, "No, you got me I'm here. That was the deal. You don't need him."

"He's the one I made the deal with," Colin said. "Not you. Tell him to come out now or I kill Spencer with just one touch of a button."

"Wait!" Peter held out his hand. He sighed and looked back at the car Toby's in. Peter moved his hand to gesture at Toby to come out.

"Okay," Toby sighed. "That's my cue. You know what to do just don't let them see you."

"Be careful, man," Jason said.

Toby got out of the car and started walking towards Colin and Peter. He kept holding his breath and his chest felt tight. Finally, Toby was standing next to Peter and in front of Colin and his right-hand man.

"Ah, Toby good to see you," Colin said.

"Where's my wife?" Toby said wanting to get to the point.

"Patients. We've got business to attend to before I hand her over. That is if I remembered to bring her. Come to think of it, I can't remember if she's still alive or not."

"You son of a-" Toby lunges forward to attack Colin but Peter stopped him.

"Don't Toby! Relax he's just messing with your head to tick you off. He wants to fire you up! Don't let him get to you".

Colin laughed at Peter, "you remember well, don't you old timer?"

"The deal was I find Peter, I bring him to you and you let Spencer go," Toby said. "Well, I brought Peter to you so let Spencer go."

"Fine," Colin nodded. "You're right. We had an agreement. Let's just hope Peter kept his part of the deal or else once again, because of him, your precious wife will be in big trouble."

Peter pulled the envelope out of his coat pocket and held it up, "before I hand this over, I need confirmation that my daughter is around and alive."

"Fine," Colin reached for something in the van and pulled out what looked like an iPad. He scrolled around on it before holding the iPad up so they could see what's on it. "This is a live stream of your daughter tied up inside the lodge. I've got three other men inside guarding her."

Toby stepped up to get a look and his heart sank. Spencer is tied up and slumped over in some chair. There's dried up blood on the side of her face and on her lip. At first, he wasn't sure if she was really alive. Then, he saw her chest moving slowly. Colin shut off the feed and handed the iPad over to his helper.

"Mark put this away," Colin folded his hands out in front of him and looked back at Peter. "Your whore of a daughter is still alive but she won't be much longer unless I get that money."

Peter angrily shoved the envelope in his hand, "here. Here's your money you bastard."

"Wait just a second. I've had some time to think and my price has gone up," Colin said.

Peter's eyes grew dark, "what do you mean?"

"I want 1 million dollars," Colin said. "I don't care if it's cash or check. I prefer cash though."

Peter shook his head, "you know that I don't have that kind of money."

Colin bit down on his bottom lip and snickered, "then I guess you'll have to kiss your whore of a daughter goodbye."

Peter reached for Colin's collar and gripped it right, "we agreed on $10,000 for my daughter's release!"

"Yes, you're right. We did agree on $10,000," Colin grinned deviously. "So, why didn't you bring $10,000?"

Toby looked over at Peter and he looked guilty. Did Peter lie about getting money from the bank? Colin ripped open the envelope and there was nothing inside. The fire in Colin's eyes grew and his smirk turned into a frown.

"You were looking to rip me off again," Colin said. "Did you really think that I wouldn't check to see if you were playing me before I let that bitch go?" Colin got out his gun and aimed it at the two men.

"You both played me."

"Woah," Toby held up his hands. "I did not play you. I had no idea he didn't have the money with him."

"Yeah, right," Colin shoved Toby over to Mark. "Hold him."

Toby struggled against Mark's hold and only stopped fighting when he felt a gun being pressed against his back. Colin aimed his gun at Peter.

"Any last words before I blow your guts out?"

Peter's hands shook and he looked over at Toby," if Spencer makes it out alive, tell her I'm sorry and I want her to know how proud I am of her. Please tell her that."

"Wow," Colin chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll soon see your daughter because I'm going to kill her after I kill you."

Colin fired two shots at Peter. One bullet hit his chest and the other went right to his abdomen. Peter's body fell back against the pavement and Toby watched the blood stream out of his body into a pool surrounding him.

"Now," Colin turned to Toby.

"What now?" Toby hissed. "You're going to kill me too?"

"You know, I've thought about it but despite what you think, I'm not that cruel to take both of Lucy's parents away. Although, I could raise the kid myself I've never been one for bratty kids. No," Colin said. "I won't kill you. Instead, because of Spencer's no good rotten father, you get to live with your wife being dead and you get to go back to that brat daughter of yours and explain to her how you broke your promise to bring mommy back safe."

"No, please," Toby tried to break against Mark's grip. "Don't kill her. Come on, I did everything you asked me to. I delivered Peter to you and that was our deal."

"True but I didn't get what I want. And it's true when they say that you should never make deals with the devil. It always comes back to bite you in the ass." Colin pulled a remote out of his pocket. "If you think about it, me killing Spencer, I'm really doing you a favor. I've been there once and that is one annoying bitch. Say goodbye to your little bitch."

Colin pressed the button on the remote and in seconds, the lodge behind them blew up then burst into flames.

Toby's eyes went wide," No!"

Toby stood there staring at the lodge caught in flames. The flames crackled and it didn't take long for the whole thing to come crashing down. Spencer was inside that lodge and now she's gone. The tears in Toby's eyes rolled down his cheeks. Colin stood there laughing. The anger in Toby grew and he lunged forward to tackle Colin. Mark tried to stop him but Toby fought right past him. Toby tackled Colin down onto the dirt covered ground. The two men struggled as they fought and rolled around on the ground. Toby punched Colin a few times and managed to knock the gun out of his hand. They wrestled around both fighting to get their hands on that gun. Colin swiped his arm behind him punching Toby off of him. Toby landed face down on the dirt and saw the gun just a few inches out of his reach. He struggled to crawl towards the gun since Colin was also fighting to get the gun first. They grabbed ahold of the gun at the same time and sat up on their knees trying to win control. Colin seemed to have the upper hand as he used his strength to aim the gun at Toby's stomach. Toby wasn't giving up though. He managed to overcome Colin's strength and shoved the gun out of his aim.

By accident, the gun went off and a bullet was fired. Both of the men stopped fighting each other. If someone had been watching this play out from a distance, they probably wouldn't be able to tell who got shot. Finally, Colin dropped the gun, gripped the bloody gun wound on his chest and fell dead on the dirt road. At first, Toby was in shook. He just killed a man. By accident of course and out of self-defense but he killed a guy. He's never killed a man while off duty. Toby stood up with the gun still in his hand. Colin's friend, Mark was still standing and looked pissed. Mark reached into his pocket like he was going to pull out a gun but the two standing men were alarmed by flashing lights and sirens coming their way. Several cop cars flooded the scene and policemen rushed to arrest Colin's men. Two cops got Mark and the rest of them checked the area for any more of Colin's men. Two or three fire trucks rolled up along with an ambulance. The firefighters got started on putting out the fire. While all of this was going on, Toby felt like the world had stopped. He just watched Colin blow up the building that Spencer was in. There's no way she made it out alive. Toby saw the video. She's been inside that lodge the whole time.

"There were people inside that lodge," the first firefighter said. "Were not sure how many but there could've been at least 4 or 5. It's possible one of them was the hostage."

"You were right," the second firefighter said. "Unfortunately, no survivors were recovered from that building. Everyone is gone."

"No," Toby cried. He shook his head, "Spencer was in there. She can't be gone. Come on please you have to check it out."

"Sir," the first firefighter said. "That building has been burning for the last forty minutes. The whole place was in flames when we showed up. There's no way that anyone could possibly live through that. Besides, there's no way to get in there. It's too dangerous to send my men in. All we can do is wait for my men to get that fire out so we can scope the place."

Toby stared longingly at the large lodge engulfed in flames. His eyes began to water and he felt his heart rat decreasing. Even though his heart seemed to beat slow, his blood boiled. When it finally registered with him, Toby looked down at the two paramedics tending to Mr. Hastings. They managed to put some kind of white cloth over his gun wounds but his body was pale and the man was barely breathing. Not to mention, he was shot in two very important organs. The heart and one in his liver. There was no hope of them saving him.

"This man was practically dead before he hit the ground," one of them said.

Even though I'm still angry at Peter for everything he's done and the way he would treat his daughter, I felt sorry for the man. I'm not the type of person to wish death upon anyone. Except for maybe Colin and his men. The other paramedic checked for Mr. Hastings pulse and couldn't find one. He then checked his heartbeat and it was completely gone. The short gray haired man shook his head and said to his partner.

"He's gone."

Toby stared down at his shoes and wrinkled his nose. Peter Hastings is gone and for all Toby knows so is Spencer. Colin got what he wanted. Two Hastings dead and a whole lot of misery left behind. How on earth will Toby explain to his five-year-old daughter that her mother is no longer?

* * *

 **Uh-oh!** **Mr. Hastings dead and Spencer** **could be dead. Stay tuned for the next part to see what happens.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Jason and Toby get a visit from an unexpected all** **y** **but can they trust the information they're given?**

* * *

It took over an hour to get the fire completely out. Now, all that's left is the burnt frame of what once was the Thorn Hill Lodge. The police have gathered all the men that participated in Colin's little shared. The firefighters reported four dead bodies from the fire. One of those people was reported to be Colin's younger brother, Wallace. Another deceased got identified as John Walts. Toby didn't know what connection John had in all of this but he's glad he's out of the way. The last two bodies pulled from the lodge were hard to identify. The firefighters said one of the two could've been a female or they may have both been female. They won't be sure until they get the bodies to a professional. The small, tan firefighter with the thin black hair came to talk to Toby.

"We're not sure which of these bodies could be your wife but when we have a better idea, we'll give you a call."

Toby had to hold back the tears and nodded, "okay."

The firefighter patted his shoulder, "take it easy. Try to have hope."

 _Hope breeds eternal misery._ Toby could almost hear Spencer screaming that. He wasn't sure if she was screaming it from the grave or if she happened to be alive somewhere. Toby nodded at the man and turned towards his car. Before he made it all the way to the car, the passengers' side door opened and Jason stepped out. His eyes moved around and he lifted his arms up.

"Spencer?"

Toby shook his head and gave him a sorrowed look. Jason's head fell and he shook it like he couldn't believe it. Toby didn't want to believe it either but if you look at the facts… Toby reached his car door and just stood there looking over at Jason who's on the other side.

"No," Jason said. "We had a deal. Spencer, she should be…"

"Colin set us up," he said. "He knew that Peter would never pay him. He probably killed Spencer before we even showed up."

Jason pressed his hands against the car and shook his head. Toby also stood speechless and numb. Spencer is gone but why does a small part of Toby still feel like she's here...somewhere.

"We should get back to the hotel," Toby said. "So we can call the others."

"Maybe we shouldn't tell them anything until we're sure," Jason suggested.

Toby looked up to see Jason looking at him.

"Colin showed me a live video of Spencer inside that lodge just moments before it blew up," Toby said.

Jason perked right up, "how can you be sure that video was a live one? How do you even know she was inside the lodge? Toby, i'm telling you, something's not right."

"Jason," he said. "I don't want to talk about this." He opened up his car door. "Let's just go."

Toby got in the car and Jason followed his lead. They drove silently down the dirt road and turned onto the main road back to Rosewood. The whole time, Toby stared blankly at the road. He was barely paying attention to where he's going. Luckily there aren't many cars out on the road at this time of night otherwise, he probably would've crashed by now. He nearly drove off the road when they made a sharp turn.

"Woah, Toby," Jason grab the wheel to steer them back on the road. "All right pull over."

Toby rolled his eyes as he pulled the car over on the side of the road. Jason undid his seat belt an ordered Toby out of the driver's seat so he could drive. Toby was stubborn but agreed.

"At this state, you're not in any shape to drive," he said.

Toby simply shrugged down into the passenger's seat and stared out the window. The car started moving again and they were back on the road. All Toby could do was sit there and think about Spencer. He can't help but blame himself for not doing a better job of protecting Spencer. He failed her. He failed Lucy too. His first job and priority were to protect this family. And he failed. If he didn't have Lucy, Toby would feel like he had nothing left.

 **Flashback**

 _It's the night of the honeymoon. The couple had just finished yet another round of love making. It's half past 3 in the morning and they're both just laying there facing each other. Toby's right arm is underneath Spencer and wrapped around her waist and his left hand is playing with her free hand that's not in his hair._

" _You have such pretty eyes," Spencer mused, dragging her fingers around the edge of his left eye._

" _You have beautiful everything."_

 _She tilts her head up more so their eyes are looking into each other. Toby moved his right arm and pressed his hand against the curve of her back. He could stay like this forever. The only sounds they can hear are the soft winds beating against the tent, the waves crashing against the sand and the sound of them breathing. Their chests are pressed so close. It's not terribly cold tonight. Normally, the temperatures dip down into the 30s or lower 40s. Tonight, it's a comfortable 56 degrees._

" _I've been thinking that we should buy this beach house and come back here during the summer," Spencer said._

" _Oh really?" Toby starts playing with her hand._

" _Yeah."_

" _We'd bring Lucy here every summer?"_

 _Spencer wrapped one arm around his neck and smirked, "Nah, I figure we stick her with Aria for a couple weeks and just you and I would come here. Sit out on the beach together, watch the sun rise in the morning, go skinny-dipping in the moonlight."_

" _Well, seems like we got our honeymoon planned," he said._

 _She threw her head back and laughed. Toby's whole feature lit up at the sound. He sure does love the sound of Spencer's laugh. It's probably his favorite sound in the world._

" _I do think it's a shame we haven't been able to swim not once the whole time we've been here though," she said. "The water always looks so pretty and blue. Like your eyes. We've just never had the chance to enjoy it."_

 _An idea crossed Toby's mind, "we could."_

 _She looked at him, "could what?"_

" _Enjoy it. Swim. We should go."_

 _She lifted her head off his chest, "go when?"_

" _Now."_

 _Her eyes went wide, "go now?"_

 _He nodded, "Yeah," he smiled and started to push the covers off of them. Spencer held his arm._

" _Wait just a second. We can't go out there!"_

" _Why not?"_

" _Because it's- it's freezing out there."_

" _So what. We won't be out there long."_

 _Toby starts to sit up._

" _I don't know about this. Toby, we'll get sick."_

 _He shrugs, "we'll all get sick sometime minus well have fun in the meantime."_

 _He stood up. Spencer gave him a look._

" _You are crazy."_

" _Yes, I am," he smiled down at her offering his hand. "The question is, are you going to be crazy with me or do I have to be crazy alone?"_

 _Spencer smiled and wasted no time accepting his hand. He pulled her right up on her feet. The two giggled as they tiptoed out of their tent and ran down towards the chilly water. The second the water hit Spencer's foot, she jumped back and screeched._

" _It's freezing!"_

 _Toby stood with his feet in the water looking back at her._

" _Come on," he laughed. His face took on a teasing grin. "Unless you're scared."_

 _That was all it took to get Spencer moving. Spencer leaped up and literally jumped on Toby'. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he held her up with his strong arms. They both giggled and she pressed her nose against his. Toby walked deeper into the water with her in his arms. The cold water is now up high on his waist and is touching below Spencer's knees. Their eyes stayed trained on each other the whole time._

" _Are you cold?" He asked._

 _She simply shook her head and smiled, "never when I'm with you."_

 _Suddenly, Toby felt like the wind was caught in his throat with the way Spencer's looking at him. He pressed a hand to her back and held the other behind her head. Her arms looped tightly around his neck and she kissed him hard, hungrily and passionately._

 **End of flashback**

It was 2 in the morning when they got back to the motel. The two men got out and entered their room. They almost didn't notice that the chair that Lorenzo was tied up in was now empty. Jason leaned against a dresser while Toby took a seat on the bed and buried his face in his hands. His body was tense and he felt weak.

"Do you need something, man?" Jason asked.

Toby dragged his hands along the length of his face, "the one thing I need I don't think you can get me."

"Toby are you sure there's not the slightest bit of hope that Spencer's still alive?"

"I don't know. I-" he trailed off and lifted his head up. "Even if she is alive somewhere, Colin's dead and his men have all been arrested. I wouldn't even know where to look for her."

"I think we should wait for the police report before we say anything to the others," Peter said. "Just to be on the safe side. There's no reason to panic them now when we don't even know for sure if she's dead."

"Yeah, I can agree to that," Toby stood. "By the way, thank you for calling the police. If only I did that sooner knowing the whole time Colin was just playing games, we should've done that sooner. Maybe then we could've saved Spencer."

Jason removed his hand off of his brow and looked at him. He shook his head, "I never called the police."

Toby stood stunned, "then how did they know to come?"

Jason shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe the alarms inside the lodge alarmed the fire house. I sure as hell never called them."

"I didn't call them either. I doubt Peter called them. If you didn't call the police and I didn't call the police, who did?"

"I did," a voice said.

The two men turn and Lorenzo stood there in the doorway. Jason looked at the chair they left him in and only then realized he got himself out. Toby walked towards Lorenzo.

"What do you mean you called the police? Did you call the actual cops or did you call more of Colin's friends?"

Lorenzo nodded, "I called the actual cops. I told them where they'd be able to find Colin."

Jason looked at him skeptically, "why would you do that?"

"Well," he sighed. "Because Toby was right. I did the wrong thing before and I know nothing will ever make up for it but this time around, I wasn't going to let Colin get away with it. I'm not a bad guy I was just scared what he'd do to my wife and kid if I didn't help him before."

"So you did know he was planning to kill Mr. Hastings tonight and his daughter?" Toby asked.

Lorenzo shook his head, "he never tells me the full details. All I knew was that something wasn't going to go right. Calling the cops on Colin was a way to try to right some of the wrongs I've made in the past. I would've called them days sooner but I wasn't sure where he's been hiding."

"So, this whole time you were just waiting to get a location on Colin before turning him in?" Jason asked.

He nodded.

"I don't know if I can believe this," Toby said. "How do I know that you're not about to shoot us both dead?"

"I don't have a reason to lie to you," he said. "You have my word that Colin and his men will get locked away for a long, long time. Maybe even for life. There's so much there for the state police to look into. This will probably go federal."

"I just don't understand why he went through so much trouble to kill Peter Hastings when he could've just moved on," Jason said.

Lorenzo shrugged, "it's who he is. That man has a hard time letting things go."

"Thank you," Toby's said to him sincerely. "I will never be able to understand why you kept Colin's secret for so long but I understand wanting to protect your family. That's all I've ever wanted to do for Spencer. It's nice knowing that you helped when you could've made things worse by keeping your mouth shut."

"Yeah," Lorenzo rubbed the back of his head. "I do know something else that you'll be happy to know."

"And what's that?" Toby's asked.

Lorenzo looked up at the two, "Spencer is alive."

* * *

 **Hmm. Lorenzo just dropped a huge bomb on them but is he telling the truth? You read please review**


	34. Chapter 34

**The search for Spencer continues**.

* * *

Jason and Toby's just stood there staring at Lorenzo. They're both stunned to hear this news from him. Are they even sure that they can trust his word? Who knows. Hearing that Spencer is alive was all it took to get Toby's full attention.

"Spencer's alive?" Toby asked.

Lorenzo nodded. Even if Toby wasn't sure this information is legit, he let out a sigh of relief and he felt his eyes water.

"Wait," Jason stepped closer. "How do you know?"

"Colin would never be stupid enough to have his hostages at the same place he makes his deals at. Spencer was never in that lodge. She wasn't even in the van."

"Oh my god," Toby said.

"I was able to see that video Colin showed you on the iPad," Lorenzo pulled out a folder with pictures to show them. "These are the screenshots of that video and these are pictures of what the lodge is supposed to look like from the inside."

Jason peaked over Toby's shoulder to get a better look at the photos.

"They don't match up," Toby said. "The room that Spencer's in isn't even apart of the lodge. She's-She's alive!"

"Hold on," Jason took the picture. "If Spencer wasn't locked inside that lodge, where is she? And even if she is still alive, we still have two of Colin's men to take out."

Toby remembered the two men with guns He saw on the video feed guarding Spencer. He took a deep breath and snapped his fingers.

"Jason's right. Spencer's still at risk. Colin probably knew he'd get caught and that's why we had a time limit to find Spencer," Toby said. He looked at Jason, "how much time do we have?"

Jason checked his watch, "I'd say we're under 12 hours."

"Okay," Toby rubbed the back of his head."There's still two men out there. We have to be quick and smart about this. Let me see that photo again. Maybe we can use it for a clue to find Spencer."

Jason handed it to Toby and he studied it long and hard. The background of the photo kind of looks familiar. So does the floor. The walls are bare and the room has poor lighting. Okay Toby's. You've definitely been there before. Where is she?

 **Flashback**

 _Spencer had to run an Aarons so Toby was asked to watch Lucy for a couple hours. For the last thirty or so minutes, the two sat at the kitchen table coloring. Toby's coloring a picture of Winnie The Pooh with a honey pot stuck on his face. Toby's not sure what Lucy's coloring. She wanted it to be a secret until she finished. Tobi is still new at this. Spending time with Lucy. They've only known each other for a couple months. He likes Lucy. She's a sweet little girl and quite mature for a 4-year-old. He really likes Spencer too. Toby knows that if he wants to have any chance being apart of Spencer's life, he'll have to be a safe part for Lucy._

" _So," Toby speaks to break the silence. "What's your favorite kind of juice?"_

" _I like purple and apple," Lucy answered, still keeping her eyes focused on her drawing._

" _Purple? Is that grape?"_

 _She nodded._

" _Oh. I like purple too."_

" _Does Manson have a daddy?" Lucy asked out of nowhere._

 _Toby looked up, "what?"_

 _Now Lucy's looking at him, "your dog. Where's his daddy?"_

" _Uh, well," he scratched the back of his head. "I don't know where his daddy is. He was a rescue so I never met Manson's dad."_

 _The little girl tilted her head, "what do you mean Manson was a rescue?"_

" _I picked him up at a shelter that homes animals that have been pulled from unloving homes."_

" _Did his parents not love him?"_

" _No, I'm sure they did. It's just dogs are different. They have homes with people instead of being with you know their doggy family's."_

 _Lucy's eyes water, "you mean they took Manson away from his mommy and daddy?"_

 _Toby sat there with his mouth open not sure what to say. He looked at the door wondering if Spencer would walk in any second to change the subject. No luck. Lucy's big, watery, brown eyes were still trained on him._

" _You see Lucy," Toby cleared his throat. "You know that pets are apart of families. A lot of dogs aren't saddened by being separated from their families because they get to branch out and be apart of human families to make them happy."_

" _Why do people have pets?"_

" _Some people get pets to complete a happy family and some may get a pet to fill the emptiness of not having anyone."_

" _Is that why you got Manson?" Lucy asked. "So you're not alone?"_

 _Toby smiled and nodded, "yeah, I guess so."_

 _Lucy looked at her drawing and said, "you want to see my picture?"_

 _Toby's smile grew, "of course!"_

 _Lucy held it up to show him. In the picture, there are four figures. Three of them are humans. The tallest one looked like a man and Toby's guessed that was meant to be Lucy's father. Then beside the man is a woman who looked like Spencer. Next to Spencer is a little girl Toby's guessed was Lucy. Then, in front of the three people is a little yellow dog. Manson. That's when Toby put it all together. The man in the picture wasn't just any random guy. It's him. Lucy drew Toby into her family. He looked at Lucy and she was beaming._

" _See you don't have to feel alone anymore."_

 _Toby smiled at Lucy. It's a small gesture and probably won't happen for a long time or even at all, but he loves the idea. He loves the idea of being apart of this family. Lucy set her picture down on the table and stood._

" _Hey, do you want to know a secret? You can't tell anyone. It's a secret only mommy and me know. You have to promise not to tell."_

 _Toby leaned forward and said, "I promise."_

" _Come follow me!"_

 _Lucy ran out of the kitchen and Toby followed. They walked down the hall and went into Lucy's room. Lucy walked over to her closet door that has a piece of paper with_ _ **Keep Out**_ _written on it taped to the outside of the door. She put her hand on the knob._

" _This is my secret club house," Lucy said. "First, we have to make sure that nobody sees us."_

 _The little girl turned her head to the left and right like she was expecting to find some stranger peeking through the window or something._

" _Okay," she whispered and opened the closet door. "This is our secret club house."_

 _Lucy stepped inside the closet that only seemed big enough for two people to step in. Three if they were really small people. A light was turned on and the closet looked like it was never finished being built. The walls are poorly painted and there's no padding on the floor. There are some drawings that Lucy has made taped to the walls. She has several colored pictures of Disney princesses and two My Little Pony drawings. She also has a painted rainbow on her wall. There's nothing really to sit on except for two little red pillows on the ground._

" _Wow, you've got a cool club house," Toby said._

 _Lucy smiled, "the first-month mommy and I moved in here, we made this our special club house. This is where we have our top secret conversations."_

" _It's nice."_

" _Yeah, I only show this place to people I trust. So far that's been mommy, Matthew and aunt Aria. Now you!"_

 _Toby smiled, "I'm touched and so honored you trust me."_

" _Mommy trusts you so I do too."_

 _His smile widened._

" _Do you promise to keep this place a secret?"_

 _Toby held out his pinky finger and said, "I promise."_

 **End of flashback**

"The club house," Toby whispered to himself.

"What?" Jason asked.

Toby raised his speaking voice, "I know where Spencer is."

Toby grabbed the keys off the motel table and ran for the door.

"Where is she?" Jason called after him.

"It's a secret!" Toby answered from outside the room.

Jason and Lorenzo shared a look before following him out to the car. Toby and Jason road together while Lorenzo drove his own car behind them. If Toby remembers correctly, Spencer's old apartment was a mile and a half away from his old home. Then, his old home was seven and a half miles away from the motel they've been staying at. There are two stop lights along the way between the motel and the apartment. He was lucky to miss one red light but got stopped for what seemed like an incredibly long time at the next light. As soon as the light turned green, Toby was on his way again. He stopped at a stop sign before turning right on a four way. Spencer's old apartment is on the left side of the street he just turned onto. He stopped the car in the parking lot and looked at the building to see if any lights are on inside. There is one small light that looked like it was coming from the kitchen. The curtains were drawn to make it look like the place was empty.

"What is this place?" Jason asked.

"This was Spencer's old apartment," Toby said.

"You think she maybe here?"

"She has to be. This is the only place I know about that matched what was in the picture," Toby checked for the gun his coat pocket. Which happened to be the gun he took from Colin after he got shot.

"We need to split up in case there are any people inside guarding the place," Toby said. "You go around back and take Lorenzo with you. I'll take the side door."

"Who's going through the front then?" Jason asked.

Toby shook his head, "if we want this to be a sneak attack, we can't use the front. Just stick to the side door and the back patio."

"Alright."

They quietly got out of the car and went separate ways. Lorenzo followed Jason to the back entrance while Toby went alone to the side door. Before barging into the apartment, Toby snuck up to the side window and tried to look in. There's a little opening between the curtains. He can't see much but he can see a shadow against the wall. He's guessing it's a shadow that belongs to a medium sized man. Toby quickly moved to the side door and tested the handle. It's locked. That won't be a problem. Toby is an expert at picking locks. He managed to pick the lock and quietly opened the side door that goes into the laundry room. The room is dark so he used his hands to safely and quietly get to the other door that opens out to the hallway next to Spencer's old bedroom. Toby checked the empty hallway then pressed his ear against the closed bedroom door. He thinks he hears a voice on the other side but he's not sure. Toby moved away from the door and started walking to the other bedroom that belonged to Lucy. He reached the second door and it was locked. He managed to get the door unlocked and opened.

The bedroom was emptied but the closet is where Toby expected Spencer to be. There's no lock on the closet door so all Toby had to do was turn the knob and open it. He sighed when he saw Spencer in a chair and she was breathing. Toby put away his gun and carefully circled around to the front of Spencer hoping he wouldn't startle her. Her eyes were closed her breathings slow and her face was pale.

"Spencer." He whispered and reached to touch her face. The palm of his hand made contact with Spencer's cheek. She leaned her head into his touch on instinct.

"Toby," she mumbled.

Her head lifted slightly and her eyes opened. When her eyes met him, Toby felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. He smiled and she smiled back weakly. He quickly untied the ropes that had been holding Spencer captive in this chair for days. Once she was freed, she fell forward and Toby caught her.

"I got you," he held her close but not too hard so he wouldn't hurt he bruises. "You're going to be okay now."

Her eyes closed and her body went almost limp in his arms. He knew she wasn't dead because she's still breathing and he can feel her heart beating against his own chest. She's very weak thought Spencer probably hadn't been given any food or water or much of anything.

"Let's get you out of here," he whispered as he used some of his strength to pick her up.

Spencer's head went right to his shoulder and her arms went loosely around his neck. Toby still doesn't know if there are any more of Colin's helpers here but he has to get Spencer out of here and to a hospital. He wasn't sure where Jason or Lorenzo are right now. He wasn't even sure if they made it inside the apartment. They'll just have to go out the same way Toby got in. He stepped out into the hallway and started walking towards the laundry room.

"Not so fast." A female voice behind them caught his attention. Toby turned around and saw a woman with dark brown hair, green eyes and light ivory skin pointing a gun at them. Toby's palms went sweaty and he got a horrible pit in his stomach. Where was Jason when they needed him? There was no way Toby could reach his own gun. Well, he could but he doesn't want to make Spencer uncomfortable.

"Did you really think I'd let you go?" The woman chuckled darkly. "I don't think so."

"Please," Toby gestured to Spencer in his arms. "She's weak and close to dying. She needs help."

"Neither of you are getting out of here alive."

"Who are you?" Toby asked. "Why do you care anymore? Colin is dead. You don't have to follow his orders anymore."

"Of course I have to follow his orders!" She shouted. "Colin was my lover and you took him away from me! And to answer your first question. I'm Jenna. We met before but you wouldn't remember. Now," Jenna clicked the gun at them. "I can be a generous person and shot Spencer now instead of making her death long and painful like I wanted to."

Toby tried his best to shield Spencer away from the aim of the gun but that was hard to do.

"Or I could kill you first to get you outta my way," Jenna said. "Your choice."

Before Jenna could raise the gun up again, she got clunked in the back of the head by Jason who was holding up a frying pan. Toby looked at Jason in shock and relief that he showed up. However, he noticed that Lorenzo wasn't with him and that there's some blood running along the side of Jason's head.

"She okay?" Jason asked gesturing towards Spencer.

Toby shook his head, "she's alive but not for much longer if we don't get her some medical help. What happened to Lorenzo?"

Jason held up the frying pan he used on Jenna, "I never trusted that son-of-a-bitch Lorenzo from the minute we saw him. Bastard pulled his gun on me."

"Well," Toby said. "We better get out before they wake up."

"Police are already on their way," Jason said.

Toby eyed him, "you did call the cops earlier."

Jason smiled softly, "that was my backup plan. I knew Lorenzo would try to earn our trust by saying he called them and as a result, he'd lead us to Spencer."

"Well look who's the clever bastard now," Toby said with a slight smile.

Toby and Jason got Spencer out of the apartment building. When they reached the outside, three police cars and an ambulance were coming up the street. They loaded Spencer in the ambulance and Toby rode with her to the hospital.

* * *

 **They saved Spencer! Next chapter will be their reunion plus a little something extra. Hope you enjoyed the chapter please leave a review.**


	35. Chapter 35

**Sorry for the long wait. As you can tell this is a long chapter and I spent more time planning the final chapter than writing. Also sorry for the errors in this story. I have a life and don't have as much time to revise. Thank you to all who have followed along with this story since I started and to my new readers. I hope you enjoyed this little story. This is my last story. I won't be writing fanfiction anymore. So enjoy the last ever chapter.**

* * *

"You can go see her now." said Dr. Maury.

When they got Spencer to the hospital they rushed her to the ER. Her blood sugar was low, something about her heart was irregular and there were some other things the doctor had to test out. Toby had to wait outside her hospital room for nearly two hours. The sun had come up around the same time Dr. Maury told Toby he could see Spencer.

"Only for a little while though," Dr. Maury said. "We're done with tests for now but we want to give her time to rest before we do a follow up in just a few hours."

Toby nodded, "thank you, doctor."

Toby stepped into Spencer's room and she was asleep in her hospital bed. There was something about the sounds of the hospital room that made Toby feel a little uneasy. He's spent a lot of time as a child at hospitals sitting next to his mother's bedside. Here he is again standing just a couple feet away from his wife's bed. Toby took a deep breath, sat down on the soft chair next to her bed and took her right hand in his. Her face wasn't as pale as it was when they found her. There's a bandaged on the top corner of her head most likely from when they'd knock her out by hitting her head. Her face is slightly bruised and there's a cut near her lip. Spencer's heart beat seemed normal. Her breathing was labored but that's probably because she's exhausted. Toby brushed the hair out of her face and tucked it back behind her ear.

"Spencer," he began. "I don't know if you can hear me right now but I just want to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't do a better job of protecting you. But i never stopped trying to find you. I couldn't sleep until you were back and safe. You mean everything to me and I'm so glad that you're alive. You're going to be okay soon the doctor said so. Lucy's safe too but she really misses her mom. The sooner you get better, the sooner we can go back to being the family we were always meant to be. I promise you, Spencer, that I will do a much better job of protecting this family."

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, "I love you."

Spencer slept for most of the day. Toby's been by her side as often as he was able to. There were a few times a nurse asked him to leave while they did a check up and changed her meds. Toby returned to Spencer's room after getting something to eat from the cafeteria. It's after 7 pm and a nurse told Toby that she woke up once when he was gone but only for a few seconds before going back to sleep. They hoped she'd wake up soon and long enough for her to maybe eat something. She was given a little bit of water when she woke up but she needs food to help get her strength up. Jason sat in the room for over an hour before leaving the hospital to go pick Lucy and the girl up from the airport. Emily, Alison, Hanna, and Lucy booked a flight as soon as they got the call that Spencer was rescued and in recovery. Aria had to work so she's going to fly out tomorrow hopefully to visit.

Sometimes Toby will read to Spencer even though she's asleep. He's not even sure she hears anything he's saying but he likes to believe she does.

"Sin from thy lips?" Toby read out loud. "O trespass sweetly urged. Give me my sin again."

"You kiss by the book."

Toby looked up when he heard someone else quote that next line. It wasn't just anyone who said that. It was Spencer. Her voice was barely audible but he heard it. Her eyes were slightly opened and her hand had moved from her side to her stomach. Her head was turned facing him.

"Hey," he closed the book and sat forehead. "You could hear me."

She nodded smiling slightly, "every word."

Toby set the book on the table and took Spencer's hand, "how are you feeling?"

"Tired," she said, closing her eyes for a second to take a deep breath. She opened them back up, "I'm also a little sore and thirsty."

"Hold on," Toby stood up to fill a paper cup with water the nurse set aside for Spencer. He came back over with the cup and helped her tip her head up so she could drink.

"The nurse said to drink some water slowly when you wake up."

Spencer sipped the water slowly and it felt refreshing going down her dry throat. When she finished the cup of water, Toby set the cup back on the sink counter. He returned to his chair and held Spencer's hand, rubbing it slowly.

"If you need anything please let me know."

"Lucy," Spencer mumbled. "Where is she?"

"She was being cared for by Emily and Alison with Hanna's help. Jason left to pick them all up at the airport and should be here soon."

Spencer took a long pause before speaking again, "how are you doing?"

"Spencer," Toby chuckled. 'You're the one who got kidnapped and is now lying in a hospital bed. I'm not the one to worry about-"

"You didn't answer my question," she said, sounding more like herself. "Just because I'm in a hospital bed doesn't mean that you're completely fine."

"Yeah you're right," he said. "I drove myself crazy worrying about you for days. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to save you that I never stopped even when I lost hope."

"For someone who usually curses at hope," she said. "I never lost it."

He looked at her, "you didn't?"

She shook her head and her smile returned, "I knew you'd find me. You're my hero. Since day one you've always been my hero."

"I'm so glad you're safe," Toby brushed his fingers through her hair. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

Toby leaned forehead and kissed Spencer softly on the lips. Spencer put her hand on his face to kiss him back. They were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps coming up the hallway. The footsteps stopped in Spencer's doorway and they both turned to see who was there. It was Jason who appeared at the door but Spencer could see three other figures behind him.

"Hey sis," Jason greeted softly. "How you feeling?"

"Not great but not terrible," Spencer answered.

"Are you well enough for a few visitors?" Jason asked.

"Sure," Spencer sat up the best she could.

Jason stepped in and he was holding Lucy's hand. Hanna, Emily, and Alison stepped in behind them. They all had small smiles on their faces. Spencer's face lit up when she saw Lucy. Lucy looked up and grinned widely at Spencer.

"Mommy!"

Lucy let go of Jason's hand and ran to her mother's bedside. Toby picked Lucy up and set her on the side of Spencer's bed.

"Hey there sweetheart," Spencer said, bringing Lucy in for a hug.

Lucy's arms went around Spencer's neck and she buried her face into the crock of Spencer's neck. When the little girl began to cry, Spencer rubbed her daughter's back and kissed her head several times.

"It's alright, Luc I'm here. I'm here."

After a long moment of hugging, Lucy pulled back to give herself some air. Her face was all red and wet from crying. Spencer ran her fingers along the sides of Lucy's face to clean her tears.

"You alright, honey?" Spencer asked.

Lucy nodded, sniffling. "I was so worried about you mommy."

"I'm okay now," Spencer said. "And I'm going to be fine. We're all going to be fine."

"I missed you so much."

Spencer smiled and tugged on Lucy's arm, "I missed you too. I love you."

"Love you too mom."

Spencer brought her in for another hug. This one didn't last as long as the last. When Lucy was released from the hug, she faced Toby was still sitting there smiling at the both of them. Lucy carefully scooted off of Spencer's bed and moved on to Toby's lap. Her little arms went around his bold shoulders and Toby held Lucy on his lap.

"You did it, dad, you saved mommy."

Toby smiled, "did you ever dought I would?"

Lucy smiled and shook her head. She hugged Toby and his smile grew. Spencer watched them from her bed and smiled.

"Okay," Alison sniffled and smiled, opening her arms. "It's my turn to hug Spencer."

Spencer laughed when Alison moved to the side of the bed and hugged Spencer tightly. Emily gave Spencer a hug and then Hanna did. Jason also came over to Spencer's side to hug her and kissed the top of her head. They all spoke for a bit but not very long. A nurse came in with a tray of soup for Spencer to eat before she went back to sleep. Before Spencer went back to sleep, she said a goodbye to everyone.

"I'll see you in the morning, okay Luce?" Spencer said, holding her daughter's hand. "Emily's going to take you back to the hotel to sleep and then you'll be right back here to see me in the morning."

Lucy nodded and gave Spencer a hug, "bye mommy. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sweetie," she kissed the side of Lucy's head.

Lucy broke away from her mother's hug and then moved back to hug her father.

"Goodnight daddy."

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

Toby gave Lucy's head a kiss before letting her go with the other girls. Before Jason stepped out with them, he gave Spencer another hug. Now, it's just Spencer and Toby again. Spencer turned her full attention on Toby and patted his hand.

"You should go too."

"What?" He tilted his head. "No way am I leaving. I told you I was going to stay by your side until you're well enough to come home."

"Toby you've been up for days. You need sleep."

He shook his head, yawning in the process, "I'm not tired at all."

Spencer smirked, touching his face, "you need to sleep."

"I know but I don't want to leave you."

Spencer scooted as far over on the bed as she could. She lifted the blankets up and gestured for Toby to lay down. Toby got up from the chair and very carefully laid down next to her. She turned her body so her head was resting on his chest and he put his hand on her waist. They laid quietly together for some time. Neither of them knew who fell asleep first. They were both exhausted. Toby pressed his lips to Spencer's forehead and lingered there as they both drifted off to sleep safely in each other's arms.

Spencer was kept in the hospital for two more days. On the day of her release, she was warned to take it easy for the next couple days. With Toby around, she was sure she'd be in good hands.

Lucy sat on Spencer's hospital bed while Spencer was fixing her outfit. She's not wearing anything real fancy. All she has is a white sweater and a pair of blue jeans with brown shoes. When Spencer turned away from the mirror, Toby came into the room with a bouquet of flowers and a red star shaped balloon. Spencer could tell something was up the second she saw Toby's face. He was smiling but it wasn't a full as it usually is.

"Hey beautiful," he handed Spencer the flowers. "These are for you."

"How lovely!" She beamed then gave Toby a peck on the lips. "Thank you."

Toby walks over to Lucy to hand her the balloon, "and this is for you."

Lucy hugged him and said, "thanks, daddy."

Toby stood back to his normal height to face Spencer who could clearly tell that he had some news to share.

"Alright," she sighed. "Just tell me is it good news or bad?"

Toby blew out a slow deep breath, "Spencer, Jason and I told you what happened to your dad that night."

Spencer frowned and nodded, "yeah, it was shocking but also not so much a surprise. My father made some deal with Colin and that resulted in all of this."

"We also told you that your dad did the same thing to your sister Melissa."

"That's what shocked me the most," Spencer said. "What happened to my sister happened to me too. I really am Melissa's little sister. I'm just glad I didn't end up doing what Melissa did. I wouldn't have Lucy if I did."

Toby stepped back to the doorway and said, "as I was leaving the gift shop and on my way back to you, I heard someone at the front desk. They mentioned your name so I stopped."

Spencer tilted her head, "Toby what are you trying to say?"

"You have an unexpected visitor."

Toby gestured to someone standing outside the door and a woman who looked similar to Spencer stepped in the room. Her hair was light brown and cut just below her shoulders. She was dressed in a long black coat with buttons and held a black purse. Spencer's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped.

"Melissa?"

Melissa smiled softly, "hi Spencer."

Spencer stood up straight, "what are you doing here? How did you even know that I was here?"

"Jason got a hold of my agent and then my agent called me. Now, I'm here to see you and hopefully patch things up between us."

"Why would you want to do that? You've always hated me."

Melissa stepped more into the room, "I didn't always hate you, Spencer. Most of the time it was just me being the basic older sister. When you gave the news that you were pregnant I was scared for you. I was scared that dad would try to do to you what he tried to do to me."

"What do you mean by tried?" Spencer wondered.

Melissa stepped out of the room for a second and reentered the room holding hands with a younger boy with dark brown eyes and light sandy hair. Spencer could tell where this was going because that kid has Melissa's face structure and skin tone. The kid was sort of tall. Spencer's guessing he got that from Colin.

"Spencer," Melissa smiled at her sister. "This is my son Taylor. I've kept him a secret for the last 7 years."

"Melissa oh my god," Spencer put her hand over her mouth. "But I thought…"

"Dad did too," Melissa explained. "When I found out that I was pregnant, I had no plans of getting rid of my child. Dad and I fought about it for weeks. Eventually, I told dad that I would abort my baby just to get him off my back. When dad thought I got an abortion, I told dad that I got offered a job in England. That wasn't true. I ended up really going to Chicago to raise my baby. That's where I've been living the last seven years."

"But all those post cards mom and dad would get from you in London," Spencer said. "You pulled that off for two years of my life."

"The guy I dated and is now my husband works in London for two months out of the year. When he's not working in London he works at a hospital in Chicago. Well, Wren doesn't work in London anymore but he did for the first four years we were together. We ended up getting married and decided to just stay in Chicago."

"Why have you never told me this?" Spencer asked. "You gave me such a hard time when you learned that I was pregnant."

"I told you I did it because I was scared and I had to protect my child," Melissa said. "I knew Colin or dad would try to do something to hurt us so I kept Taylor a secret. But now that both Colin and dad are gone it's safe, to tell the truth."

"No one knew about him?" Spencer asked.

"No, not even mom," Melissa said.

"Wow."

Melissa kneeled down so she was eye level with Taylor, "sweetie you remember I told you about my younger sister Spencer right?" Taylor nodded.

Melissa turned Taylor towards Spencer, "that's her. This is your aunt Spencer."

"Hey," Taylor said.

"Hi Taylor," Spencer smiled and gestured for Lucy to come over. Lucy stood up from the bed with Toby's help and joined Spencer's side.

"This is my daughter and also your little cousin, Lucy."

Taylor smiled warmly at Lucy, "hi. I can't believe I've got a cousin."

"What's your favorite activity?" Lucy asked.

"I like to play soccer, ride my bike, read books, and watch movies," Taylor said.

"I like soccer and watch movies too!" Lucy exclaimed. "But I can't ride a bike yet. At least not until daddy takes off my training wheels."

Spencer, Melissa, and Toby smiled at the friendly interaction between the children. Spencer looked at Toby then at her sister.

"You've met Toby then," Spencer said. "In the hallway."

"Yeah," Melissa nodded. "After I gave him a background on who I was, Toby was nice enough to show me to your room. You two are married?"

"Yes," Spencer smiled and reached for Toby's hand which he gladly accepted. "We've been married for a few months. He's incredible and has worked hard to keep us safe."

Melissa chuckled, "yeah based on the two minute he gave me to explain myself he seemed like a real good man."

Spencer wrapped her arms around Toby's waist, "I love him so much and he's a good father to Lucy."

"Spencer I know that you and I have a rough history and I haven't ever really given you a reason to trust or forgive me. I am sorry for everything."

Spencer let go of Toby and went to hug Melissa. Melissa was stunned at first but hugged her sister back. Spencer pulled away after a few more seconds and smiled.

"You're my sister Melissa," Spencer said. "I may not ever be able to forgive what dad did or even mom for not wanting to speak to me, but you I can give a second chance. You explained why you did what you did to me and I understand. You're my sister and I love you."

Melissa smiled a teary smile, "I love you too Spencer."

Spencer wiped her own tears and said, "Toby and I along with some friends are going to lunch this afternoon. You and Taylor are welcome to come with us."

Melissa nodded, "I'd love too."

* * *

That afternoon, Spencer, Toby, Jason, Melissa, and Spencer's friends along with their kids got together for lunch. They all had a lot of catching up to do since the last time they all saw each other. Spencer and Melissa also had a lot more to talk about. They gave each other their addresses and phone numbers as well as making plans to visit each other a few times a year. In Chicago, Melissa got a job as a social worker. Even though lunch went on for three hours, it wasn't long enough. They probably would've hung out longer but both Spencer and Lucy were getting sleepy. Melissa has to get back to Chicago by the next morning so she and her son are going back on the next flight out of Philly. Aria and her daughter also have to get back by tomorrow evening so they're leaving in the morning. Alison and Emily have to be back the day after because they have a meeting with the adoption agency. They've been waiting to hear if they're on the waiting list to adopt a child. Hanna decided to just leave Rosewood whenever Spencer and Toby felt ready to return back to their own home. Which won't be for another four days because Spencer needs time to rest before traveling. Even if Philly is only a few hours away.

After saying all of their goodbyes, Spencer and Toby took Lucy to the Hastings lake house. For some reason, they thought it would be better to stay there over staying in a hotel room for the next four days. Jason will be staying with them too. That lake house has four full bedrooms so they have room for him. Hanna said she'd stay in her own hotel room for the night since she already paid for it.

That night, Jason offered to share a room with Lucy because he felt that Toby and Spencer could use the privacy. Plus, they wouldn't have to worry too much about Lucy sleeping alone after all that's happened. After Toby and Spencer said their goodnights to Lucy, they went off to their own room down the hall.

"We're down the hall if you need us, baby," Spencer said.

Lucy nodded, "I know mommy."

"We'll see you in the morning. Goodnight," Spencer said.

"Sweet dreams, angel," Toby added.

"Goodnight, mommy. Goodnight, daddy," Lucy said. "I love you."

"We love you too," they said together.

Later in their bedroom, Toby sat on the edge of the bed just watching Spencer. He watched the way she carefully brushed out her hair. The way she rubbed lotion all along her arms and legs. He watched the way she stretched her arms back and yawned. Just like she did every night before coming to bed. He actually missed watching her do this. He missed everything about her. His eyes began to water just thinking about how close he came to losing her for good. Spencer applied chap stick over her already smoothed lips, flipped her hair around and then turned around. When she saw Toby's face her heart melted.

"Hey," she went over to him and rested her hand on the side of his face. "What's wrong?"

He just simply sighed and smiled at her, eyes still overflowing with tears.

"Hey," Spencer sat next to him on the bed and wrapped her arms around his toned body. He rested her head against her shoulder.

"It's okay," she whispered. "I'm here. I'm here and alive and safe. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Toby wiped his face against her shoulder and sniffled. She too was crying. She missed him so much when she was being held captive. She thought about him every minute of every day until they were back together. She thought about him and Lucy. She also thought, what if I don't get out of this alive? What would happen to her family? What would happen to her friends? Spencer had no doubt in her mind that Toby would stay strong and continue to raise Lucy like the perfect father he is to her. She also knew that he'd be miserable and broken without her.

"I love you so much," he whispered into her ear before kissing the side of her face. "God, I thought I almost lost you for a second. Colin he… He made me think you were dead for a short period of time."

Toby took his head off of Spencer's shoulder and looked at her.

"For twenty minutes," he choked. "Twenty minutes he made me think that you died in that fire at the lodge. Those were the worst most painful twenty minutes of my life. I-"

"Toby, Toby, shush," Spencer put her finger on his lips and caressed his face. "I'm right here. Look at me."

She brushed the long ends of Toby's hair out of his face. Toby's watery blue eyes met hers. Spencer continued to caresses and rub his hair as they looked at each other. Really looked at each other. Spencer is here. Spencer is alive and she is here with Toby.

"You're here," he whispered.

She pressed her forehead against his and nodded, "I'm here."

Toby's hands went to her waist and the back of her head. Spencer played with Toby's hair a bit, stroking it and pushing it back. Neither of them blinked as their eyes stayed trained on each other. Until Toby finally leaned in and kissed her. They kissed so hard and with so much passion that both of them forgot for a second that anything bad had ever happened. Toby slowly began leaning them back onto the bed. Their hands roamed over every inch of their bodies as their lips worked furiously to make up for lost time. They paused for a long moment to take a breath. They breathed hard and looked at each other as they held on like their lives depended on it.

Toby swallowed dryly and said, "you need some rest."

"I will," Spencer said while moving her hands through his hair. "Right after I make love to my husband."

"Spence," he was hesitant but didn't move away from her or release her from his hold. "You just got out of the hospital. The doctors told you to take it easy the next few days."

"So," she smirked and turned their bodies so she was on top of him. "We'll take it easy. We were only apart for a few days but because of the circumstances, it felt like I've been away from you for years. I love you and I've missed you and I want to have sex with you now."

Toby wasted no time arguing and went on kissing her.

 **3 years later**

5:57 am. That gives Toby three more minutes until his alarm goes off. Three more minutes he gets to lay here next to his wife. Three more minutes of quiet and peace. His eyes are closed and he's sound asleep but somewhere deep inside his brain, he knew that time was coming. Then it did. At 6:00 Am sharp, the ear piercing sound of Toby's alarm rang loudly in his ear. He reached out quickly to silence it before it woke his wife. He sighed into his pillow and laid there half asleep. He only moved when he felt the left side of the bed move and a small body press against his back. He smiled when he felt her kiss the back of his neck and wrap her small arms around his torso. Toby opened his eyes and turned over onto his back, he opened up his arms to welcome the brunette to lay her head on his chest. Spencer's eyes were still closed but she didn't need them open to find her place. This was how they started most of their mornings. Toby's alarm would go off at 6 in the morning. He'd always try to turn his alarm off before it woke Spencer but mostly every morning it did wake her. Spencer would always roll over to lay her head on Toby's chest so they could get a few minutes of cuddling in before they really started their day.

"Don't go to work today," Spencer mumbled.

Toby smiled, wrapping his arms around her, "you know how much i hate this part of the day."

"I hate it too," she said. "Why don't we just cancel this part of the day today and stay here?"

He chuckled, "you know you say that every morning."

"And it never seems to work to keep you in bed." Spencer sighed and climbed over him. She smiled down at him, "But i know something that never fails to keep you in bed for a few extra minutes."

Spencer pressed her body on top of Toby and kissed him. He put his hands on her waist and tried to hold her as close to him as humanly possible. With each kiss they shared, Toby's smile grew wider.

"Spence," he muttered between kisses. "I really need to get going."

He pulled his lips away from hers but that just prompted Spencer to start kissing his neck seductively.

"Spencer," he moaned.

God, why does she always do this to him? Toby couldn't help himself. He arched his neck so Spencer could reach that spot on his neck below his left ear. That spot he knows she knows makes it hard for him to resist her.

"God," he sighed in defeat. "You win."

Toby gripped her waist tightly and flipped them over. Spencer held her hands in his hair and giggled when he reconnected their lips in a heated kiss. Toby's not usually late for work but it looks like today would have to be one of those days.

After that, the two of them were well awake. Spencer laid underneath the covers all smiley and satisfied as she watched Toby slip on a pair of clean boxers. "You're going to be the death of me woman," he said as he got up from the bed. He heard her laugh and he smiled to himself as he made his way to the bathroom.

"Come on Isaac. Eat your cheerios."

This was a pretty sight to see. Spencer turned around from her place in front of the kitchen counter and watched Lucy attempting to feed her brother his breakfast. Spencer and Toby finally had a kid together who's now 2- and a half. Isaac will be 3 on September 11th. The floor creaked as Toby made his way into the kitchen dressed in his work clothes.

"Good morning dad!" Lucy greeted with a toothy smile.

Toby leaned down to kiss the top of Lucy's head, "good morning sweetheart." He then kissed Isaac on the head. "Good morning."

Toby gave both of them a pat on the head before making his way to Spencer. She smiled as they kissed good morning.

"Yuck, you guys!" Lucy made a disgusted face. "Could you guys not? Trying to eat breakfast over here."

They smiled, "okay Miss. Drama Queen," Spencer teased.

Toby chuckled, "Lucy you ready for the game today?"

Lucy immediately pumped right up and said, "you bet I am!"

Toby cocked his head in the direction to the hallway, "okay. Go get dressed so I can take you to school."

Lucy's face fell, "do I have to go to school today?"

"Well," Spencer teased while moving closer to Toby, "or you could just sit there and watch me kiss your father for-"

"No!" Lucy screeched and shot right off to her bedroom to get ready.

The couple laughed and shared a brief kiss before separating. Toby said goodbye to Isaac before leaving the house for work and to take Lucy to school. Spencer cared her coffee cup over to the table and sat down with Isaac. She scooped up a spoonful of cheerios and held them out to his mouth.

"Come on Isaac! One more bite!"

Spencer's smile widened as Isaac leaned forward and took the spoon in his mouth. He ate the cheerios until the spoon came out clean.

"Yay!" Spencer cheered. "Good job buddy."

Isaac giggled and clapped his little chubby hands together.

Later that afternoon at Richmond's soccer Field, a large crowd began to gather for the first soccer game of the season. Lucy plays soccer for her school's soccer team. It's not a big league since she only plays on the 3rd-grade team. Toby and Jason co-coach Lucy's soccer team. Her soccer team is a mix of boys and girls. Since Lucy is the faster player on the team, she's a striker. Her friend Heather is the goalkeeper and her other friend Josh is in the midfield defense.

Everyone showed up for Lucy's game. Melissa came with Taylor. Hanna drove down with Matthew. Ezra and Aria came with Layla. Spencer and Toby aren't the only couples with a new addition to the family. A couple years ago, Emily and Alison adopted a young girl from Ghana. They named her Gabbi and she's 2-years-old. They're already in line to adopt another child from the same place.

"Go, Lucy!" Hanna cheered from the sidelines.

"Mom," Matthew pulled on his mother's sleeve. "Their game hasn't started yet."

Hanna gave her son a look and said, "just eat your ice cream cone."

At 3:15 pm, the game started and went on for two hours. The two teams were close. Lucy's team is the Richmond Dragons and the opposing team is the Hunter knights. The Dragons won the game with a final score of 3-2. The crowd cheered for Lucy's team. Everyone was proud of Lucy for winning her first soccer game.

After the game, everyone retreated back the Cavanaugh's house for a barbeque. Lucy's whole soccer team and their families were invited to come. The backyard was filled with loads of chatter and children's laughter. Spencer was seated on one of the lawn chairs with Isaac on her lap playing with a plastic horse. Melissa and Emily were seated in chairs beside them.

"How's Taylor doing in the 5th grade?" Spencer asked.

"She's doing really great. You know she just made the math bowl team again," Melissa said.

"That's great!" Spencer exclaimed. "Lucy wants to try to her school's spell bowl team but she'll probably have to compete a lot against the fourth graders."

"She can go for her grade levels spell bowl," Melissa said.

"Yeah, I told her she could do that but you know how the Hastings women work. We aim as high as we can go."

Melissa smiled, "Lucy really is her mother's child."

Spencer laughed.

"You guys are lucky," Emily said. "I hope my kid grows up to be smart like your kids."

"They will," Melissa said.

"Yeah Em. There are many levels of smarts for kids other than just being book smart," Spencer said.

"Spencer's right," Melissa said.

"Mommy," Lucy ran up to the adults with another young girl at her tail.

Lucy's friend looked to be the same age as her and wore matching uniforms. The girl's hair was long and dark and pulled back into a ponytail. Her skins brown and her eyes are a beautiful hazelnut color.

"Yes, pumpkin?" Spencer directed her attention to the girls.

"This is my new friend Julie. She's new to my school and a new teammate on our soccer team," Lucy explained.

Spencer smiled at the other young girl and said, "hello Julie."

"Hi Ms. Cavanaugh."

"Anyway," Lucy directed the attention back to her. "Would it be okay if Julie spent the night?"

"Well, sure!" Spencer said. "As long as it's okay with her mom. I would like to meet and speak with Julie's mom if I could."

"Julie doesn't have a mom," Lucy said.

"I live with my grandma," Julie explained.

"Oh," Spencer's face fell but a smile soon reappeared. "Then if it's alright, i'd love to meet your grandmother."

Julie smiled, "she's talking to Lucy's dad and her uncle."

"We already asked daddy and her grandma," Lucy said. "And they said to check with you."

"Well, then, sure Julie you are welcomed to stay over tonight," Spencer said with a friendly smile.

Julie smiled so wide you could see her teeth, "thank you, Ms. Cavanaugh."

The two girls ran off to continue playing whatever game Lucy was playing with her friends. Emily got up from the table and was replaced with Toby. Melissa held her empty cup and rose to her feet.

"I think I'll go get some more lemonade," Melissa said and walked off.

Isaac sat on the ground playing with all the toys his mom had set out for him. He seemed pretty happy in his own little world. Spencer sat back in her chair and sighed as she looked at Toby who sat there smiling at her. She reached for his hand and he gladly accepted.

"Well," Toby said.

Spencer sighed, " well, here we are."

He nodded and his smile grew, "here we are."

Spencer got up from her chair to sit down on Toby's lap. Toby wrapped his arms around her body and rested his lips against her temple. The two just sat there together as they watched all their friends and family together. Arf! Arf! They heard the giggles of Lucy's friends get all riled up as Manson came running up to play with the girls. His tail was wagging wildly behind him, his tongue was out, and he's barking up a storm. Lucy smiled and threw a tennis ball for him. Everyone laughed when Manson ran straight into a table before quickly going after the ball.

Spencer leaned her head against Toby's and said, "this is perfect."

He nodded in agreement, "it sure is."

* * *

 **The end. Again thanks for reading. And thank you to all the people who have read and supported all my other stories. I'll miss writing for you. As always I ask for one last rev** **iew from you guys.**


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